Misplaced
by Deus Swiftblade
Summary: When the seal broke and he opened his eyes, he had hoped to see his friends standing around him, welcoming him back to life. But now he's in a different time and all of his friends have long since past away. Now the only thing he can do is put what he has been trained to be to good use and serve the galaxy from the shadows.
1. Crash Landing

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Mass Effect.

Misplaced

Chapter 1: Crash Landing

"Talking"

"_Thinking"_

"**Biju/VI/Geth/Reaper talking"**

"_**Biju/VI/Geth/Reaper thinking"**_

Reading/News/Intercom

(Location: Thessia atmosphere)

It was a quiet time on the _Shield of Athame_. The ship was a cruiser assigned to the protection of the Asari home world of Thessia, a routine job that nearly every ship in the Asari fleet had to do (it was either protecting Thessia or the Citadel. The only difference was that the Citadel had a mixture of the fleets). The _Shield of Athame_ had been doing the job for the better half of three months and its crew was waiting for the chance to get out into space and do an actual mission. Thankfully (at least to them), they weren't the only ones who were doing this. There were a good number of ships protecting Thessia, although most people thought it would be suicidal to even try and attack the planet (partly because of the ships).

On this particular ship, its captain, one Arsmeni Banni, was fast asleep in her bed. She had just gone through a long and incredibly boring shift on the bridge, so all she wanted to do was have a nice long sleep. Unfortunately for her, that wasn't in the plan. "Captain, we need you on the bridge." The voice of one of the crew rang through the intercom. Arsmeni heard it, but she didn't want to respond. The voice was making her be awake and she didn't want to be awake. She wanted to be unconscious, completely and utterly. "Captain, we need you on the bridge." The voice spoke again.

She groaned and accepted the inevitable; she was going to have to be awake. "I'm on my way." She said as she rose from the bed, stretching out the kinks in her body. "But if there isn't a good reason to why I have to be awake right now, someone is going to be getting an ass-whooping." She threatened.

"Um…acknowledged, captain, bridge out," The intercom went dead, leaving her alone in the room. She slowly stumbled over to her own personal coffee machine and began making a cup. Despite what the rest of the galactic community said about humans, they could all agree that they had a good way of getting you up in the morning. She took a sip of the precious brew and swallowed it, allowing it to jumpstart the rest of her body. As she came awake, she finished the rest of the cup. Placing it down on the table, she quickly put her uniform and then made her way to the bridge.

As she walked through the hallways, she came across two crew members gossiping. "I heard the Systems Alliance had colonized another planet." The one of the left said.

"Another one?" asked the one on the right. "That's the third planet this month! How many planets do they need anyway?"

"I don't know." She replied, shrugging her shoulders. "You'd think they would be having kids every ten minutes the way those colonies fill up."

"I know, right? So, who's protecting the colony? Those…what was the word…shanabi people?"

"The correct word is _shinobi_." Arsmeni said, interrupting their conversation and catching them by surprise. "And the two of you had better be off-duty if you're gossiping in the hallways like a couple of school children."

"We are, captain!" The left crew member assured her. Everyone knew how grouchy the captain was when she was woken unexpectedly from sleep. If you pissed her off when she was like that, she was more than likely to take it out on you.

"Good, carry on then." She kept on walking, leaving the two alone. As she walked, she reflected on what they were gossiping about. Ever since they had come onto the galactic stage, the humans had been colonizing planets like they were about to go extinct. That policy kept annoying the hell out of the other races who wanted to colonize a planet, only to find that the humans had already gotten there. Personally, she didn't think the humans weren't so bad; they just seemed to be in a big hurry.

She walked onto the bridge, the doors closing behind her. "Okay, what's so important that I need to be here?" She asked, getting everyone's attention.

"There's something on the radar, Captain. It's been coming this way steadily for the past hour and doesn't show any signs of slowing down or stopping at all." The XO explained. She quickly it a few buttons on the console next to her, a hologram appeared overhead, showing what looked to be a white meteor sailing through space. The odd thing about it (besides its coloring) was that it was a perfect sphere and looked to be the same size as the cruiser.

"How far away is it?" She asked.

"About twenty, maybe twenty five minutes away," The XO promptly answered.

"What exactly is the problem here, Falnya?" She asked, calling her XO by her first name. "You woke me up because of some white meteor that coming this way? If you're worried about it crashing into one of the republics on the planet, just blow it to pieces before it does."

"That's not why I had you come up here, ma'am."

"Then why am I up here?" She asked again, getting grouchier by the second.

"We did a scan of the meteor as it came onto the radar, to see if there was anything worth mining from it." Arsmeni understood why she had done that, it was standard procedure to scan any unknown object they encountered in space to see if there was anything useful. "What we got was an energy reading that was powerful enough to power ten dreadnaughts."

If Arsmeni had brought her cup of coffee with her to the bridge, she would've dropped it. "Wait, are you sure about that? It was powerful enough to power _ten_ dreadnaughts?" She asked, thinking she had misheard her XO.

"That's correct ma'am, but that's not all."

"What else is there?"

"…We picked up a life signature when we scanned the meteor." She explained, a little hesitant. "It was faint, but it's there."

"There's something alive in there?" The Captain demanded.

"It seems like that, ma'am." Both of them just stared in disbelief at the hologram of the meteor. The facts seemed almost ridiculous and yet, there were right there in front of them. There was a meteor out there that was giving off an energy reading as powerful as ten dreadnaughts and also had a faint life signature.

"Is the energy reading as eezo?" Arsmeni asked. If it was, then it would be the biggest deposit the galactic community had ever found.

"Uh…no, Captain." One of the nearby crew answered her question. "I'm checking all known energies to see if there is a match." Her fingers flew over the keyboard in front of her as she looked through databases. "I think I have a match, ma'am." She announced. "It's almost identical match to the energy that the Alliance military uses."

"Are you telling me that meteor is giving off a chakra reading!?" She knew the bare amount about chakra. It was an energy that could only be used by humans. It was also the reason why they were able to beat the Turians back off Shanxi within a week during the Relay 314 Incident and easily defeated the Batarian invasion in the Skyllian Blitz.

"Yes, ma'am, there are a few differences, but as far as I can tell, they are enough to not make it completely identical."

"Oh great, you know what happens next." She muttered to her XO.

"Ma'am?" asked Falnya, unsure of what she meant.

"We're going to have to contact the Alliance and inform them of our discovery. Then they'll come out here, take the damn thing back to their planet, and take it apart bit by bit until they find what's causing that reading." She grumbled.

"With all due respect ma'am, but isn't that we were planning to do?"

She threw a mock glare at her XO, but it soon turned into a smile. "You know me too well, Falnya."

"That's my job, Captain." She replied with a straight face. She could understand where Arsmeni was coming though. When it came to the study of chakra, there was none. The Alliance kept the secrets of the energy close to the chest and refused to let anyone who wasn't a human study it. If the Asari Republics could get their hands on the meteor and somehow figure out how it was giving off the reading, they could be the ones to discover how chakra worked. That would, in turn, make the captain and crew of the _Shield of Athame_ either famous or rich.

All of a sudden, a warning klaxon began going off. "What's going on?" Arsmeni demanded as the bridge had red lights flashing all around them.

"It's the meteor, ma'am. It's gaining speed!" A nearby crew shouted. "If we stay where we are it'll hit us in seven minutes!"

"Pilot, engage thrusters and get this ship ready to move!" She barked out an order.

"Yes sir!" The pilot replied, hitting a rapid sequence of buttons around the helm.

"Is there any way we can damage that thing?" She asked another crew member as she stood behind her chair, looking at the screen.

"Unknown, ma'am," The crew member replied. "We don't have any idea of how thick the rock is. We also don't know if the chakra will react if we do fire."

"Incoming in four minutes!" shouted Falnya from where she stood, reading a screen and watching the meteor.

"Lila, will we be able to move away from its path?" Arsmeni asked the pilot.

"Yes Captain. But if we do that, the trajectory shows that it will crash in the middle of the Serrice Republic!" She answered.

"Would we survive the crash with the meteor if we stayed put?"

"No ma'am. In fact, I don't think that will even slow it down."

"Incoming in two minutes!" shouted Falnya.

Arsmeni looked around the bridge and saw that everyone there was watching her. She was the captain; it was her decision to make. She could keep the ship where it was and hope that would be enough to stop the meteor, or order the ship to move and allow the meteor to pass by and sail into the atmosphere, crashing into the republic below. _"Oh damn it all to Athame! I just hope the blasted thing crashes in a park! If not, I'll apologize later. The safety of my crew comes first!"_ She silently swore. "Get us out of the way of that meteor, Lila, NOW!" She ordered.

"Yes ma'am." Lila began to steer the ship out of the meteor's path. It was almost too close for comfort, but the ship was able to get out of the way just as the thing passed. "We're clear, Captain!" She announced.

"Good." Now all they could was watched as the meteor went into the atmosphere.

"Captian, I think the force of the thrusters did something. The meteor's trajectory has changed!" Falnya stated her eyes still on the screen in front of her.

She whipped her head over to look at her XO. "Where's it going to land?"

"From what this thing is telling, it's going to crash about five miles outside of the Serrice Republic."

"Alright, contact the Matriarchs of that Republic. Tell them what's going and tell the public _not_ to panic." She ordered. While she was relieved that it wouldn't hit the republic, there were still going to be problems.

"Understood, Captain," The XO acknowledged. She quickly left the bridge in order to find a comm room.

(Location: Thessia)

The meteor fell through the sky, with nothing trying to stop it. It didn't burn up in the atmosphere, as some on the _Shield of Athame _had hoped. If a child on the planet's surface had looked up and saw it, they would've initially thought that it was a bright star about to hit the planet (they would've been half right). On and on it sailed, hurling even faster down to the ground now that gravity had control.

It smashed into the ground, sounding like thunder crashing, a volcanos erupting, an earthquake splitting apart the surface, and a bomb going off all at the same time. It created a shockwave of energy that spread out halfway across the planet. When the shockwave went through a Republic, it had crashed everything, causing a blackout. Omni-tools went dead, people became stuck in elevators, and accidents were happening in the streets (these were only a few things that happened due to the shockwave). The people did everything they could to help each other out while the Matriarchs assured the population that everything was being done to get the power back on and to treat those who had been injured.

It took Thessia a week to remember that the cause of the blackout was just outside the Serrice Republic, halfway embedded into the ground.

* * *

Codex Entry (Humanity and the Systems Alliance): SHINOBI

_The best description that's fits the Shinobi is "Humanity's answer to the Asari Commando." It is unknown on how long the shinobi have been on Earth, but according to sources they have been there a long time. _

_While originally warriors who were clannish and fought for whoever paid them, they were eventually organized into what is now known as Hidden Villages. They then became what could be closely called "organized mercenaries", however shinobi take great offense at being called that, so the phrase was soon forgotten. A team of shinobi (the standard number of people on a team is four, it can be bigger or smaller) would accept a mission from clients who would pay them in accordance with the difficulty of the mission (See: Shinobi Ranking) in order to complete the mission._

_Shinobi use an energy called charka to assist them in their mission. This energy allows them to perform extraordinary feats, such as running the side of a tree or building without fear of falling off, or walking across water without falling in. Shinobi also use chakra to perform attacks known as Jutsu, which range from creating a fireball from the mouth to casting an illusion so horrible that the person caught in it would kill themselves. There has been some claim that chakra is just another form of biotics (which was proven false after comparing the two energy readings). _

_Currently, only humans are able to utilize and harness the chakra in their bodies. This is mostly because the Systems Alliance steadfastly refuses to allow any alien race to study the energy (the only thing they have allowed to be shown the energy reading of chakra). Despite pleas from the Citadel Council as well as military companies, the inner workings of chakra is one of humanity's closet kept secrets, even more so when it was discovered that an STG group and a Spectre had been trying to trying to find the secret by themselves (Hotlink: Incident in Land of Water, STG group and Spectre executed without trial)._

_The system of the Hidden Villages continued until the time of the Fourth Shinobi World War (around CE 159). Afterwards, it disbanded and shinobi from rival villages began working together under the banner of the Shinobi Alliance (which had been changed to the Human Alliance and then became the Systems Alliance). Many traditions have followed shinobi into the modern day, such as the use of kunai, shuriken, and explosive tags (even though nowadays, a shinobi will use a gun or grenade), or using the old shinobi military ranks to modern day military ranks (being called Genin means one is of low rank, to be called a Chūnin means one of middle rank, and to be called Jōnin means one is of high rank)._

* * *

**End**

**Author's note:** Thank you for all the reviews you've sent me.

Okay, this is my attempt at a Naruto/Mass Effect crossover. I would like to thank the Author DinoJake and his story "The Last Spartan", which gave me the inspiration to write this story (andof which I'm kinda basing the first couple of chapters off of).

Now, let me make this abundantly clear: _I have never played Mass Effect 2 or 3_. I have only played the first one and that was a couple of years ago. So I will be relaying on video walkthroughs to help me with this story (minus a few changes I'll be making). However, if you think I'd missed or will miss something important to the overall story, please feel free to let me know! I feel like this is going to be one of those stories that's going to need all the help it can get.

I'll see you all next chapter!


	2. Poking Around

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Mass Effect.

Misplaced

Chapter 2: Poking Around

"Talking"

"_Thinking"_

"**Biju/VI/Geth/Reaper talking"**

"_**Biju/VI/Geth/Reaper thinking"**_

Reading/ News/Intercom

(Location: Crash site)

An Asari woman sat inside a tent, typing on an omni-tool, watching as the words appeared on the screen in front of her. "Dr. Legos' professional journal, CE 2183, entry #12: Progress has been slow in studying the crashed meteor." She read aloud as she typed. "Despite several different tests, we are still unable to figure out how the meteor is giving off the chakra reading or the life signature. Attempts to drill through have proven futile. Even though we have ascertained that the meteor is just ordinary rock, we cannot get past the first layer." She stopped typing for a second in order to drink some nearby coffee. "I am currently unaware if the Matriarchs or the Council has contacted the Alliance, but I do know that when they get here, everyone who isn't a human is going to be kicked out of the area."

"Doctor Legos?" The voice of one of the Salarian scientists, Chirak, called out as he entered the tent. "They're ready to try again."

"I'm coming." She told him as she turned the screen off. She stood up and began to walk out of the tent. "Why are we still doing this? The thing is too deeply embedded in the ground to pull up and no matter what we do; we can't break through the surface."

"Regardless, we still must try." He replied as they walked out of the tent and into the opening. The area around the meteor had been sealed off by the Asari military as well as the Turian military and the STG. There was only one way to get into the area and that was through one checkpoint. Anyway else and you'd encounter armed guards blocking your path. Tents were set up everywhere; some were for the study of the meteor while others were the cafeteria or where they slept.

"So what are they trying this time to get through?" Dr. Legos asked.

"They're going have a tomkah fire a round off at it and see if that can break through."

"Are you kidding me? Why not have a krogan charge at the damn thing and see if he can head-butt his way through it!?"

"Actually, I think that idea was passed around a couple of times." He noted with a straight face, though you could tell he was being sarcastic.

"Don't give me that, Chirak. I am not in the mood!" She all but shouted at him, getting the attention of a few passersby.

"I'm well aware of that fact, Irzia." He spoke calmly, using her first name. They had worked together on a few projects before, so he knew what she was like when she got irritated. "Look, I know that this is the one possible chance you have got at studying chakra, but we're running out of time."

She looked over at him. "What do you mean?"

"I overheard the conversation in the communication tent. The Citadel Council has already notified the Systems Alliance. They'll be soon, so everyone's desperate to get this thing open. That means we're going to have a tomkah to see if it'll even make a dent."

She stifled a growl when she heard "Systems Alliance". After the 314 Relay Incident, she had been on the short list to study the new energy called chakra. She had been so excited to study, but the excitement turn anger when the human refused to let any of the other races study the energy. She along with several others who had been on the short list thought they were being paranoid and selfish. "Do we have an exact date on when there'll be here?" She asked.

"From what I could hear, they're beginning the process of picking their scientists and loading the ship. If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say three days."

"_That's how long we've been working on it."_ She noted ironically to herself.

Before she could say anything in reply, the buzzer on the area intercom went off. "Your attention please, the tomkah is ready to fire. Please get out of the way and make sure your ears are protected." The voice of one the grad students rang through the intercom. Everyone around Irzia and Chirak began to hurry to find cover. There was a very good reason why they did that. A tomkah was easily one of the more powerful tank-like vehicles in known galaxy. There was a well-known story about the Krogan Rebellions that accurately described the power of a tomkah at one part. A Turian frigate had cleared the atmosphere on the planet they were fighting (the name of the planet varied depending on who's telling the story), but it had gotten in range of a tomkah, which fired off one round. It was a through-and-through. The only real problems you had to deal with the tomkah was making sure you didn't go deaf (which the sound of the round being fired would do to you for about five weeks if you didn't properly protect your ears) and making sure you didn't get run over.

As the tomkah rolled up to the front of the meteor, both Irzia and Chirak ducked down a metal barrier. Chirak quickly and quietly offered her a pair of noise-canceling ear-buds. She took them with a nod of thanks and swiftly put them in her ears. They waited for a couple of minutes before feeling the vibrations through the ground given off by the tomkah firing the round. When the vibrations stopped, they stood up away from the protection of the barrier. "Did it work?" Irzia asked as she took out the buds.

"I'm not sure." Chirak answered. "We'll have to wait until the smoke clears." They walked around the barrier and made their way closer to the meteor. They were joined by the other scientists as well as the security teams and technicians. As the smoke covering the meteor began to slowly dissipate, everyone's hope were rising. Most of them had a feeling that this would be it, this would be the one that finally cracked open the meteor (or at the very least, dent it). But that feeling was wasted when the smoke cleared and they saw nothing had changed. The meteor looked the same as before.

"Well, there's goes that idea." Irzia muttered to herself as the others around her groaned at the failure. "Honestly, who thought a tomkah would be a good idea?"

"Be nice, Dr. Legos." Chirak told her. He called her by her last name when they were around other scientists so he could remain professional. "A lot of them thought that it would work. Sometimes brute force works better than calculated methods."

She gave him a look. "I'd never thought I hear those words come from a Salarian, much less you."

"Well, you do learn something every day."

"Okay, everyone back away!" The head of the security detail, a Turian, shouted over the din. "Go about your business while we get the tomkah out of here!" The crowd began to disperse as he signaled the drivers to slowly turn around and drive out of the area.

As the tomkah left, the Asari and Salarian turned around and walked away. "So what do you think they'll try next?" Irzia asked her professional friend. "Have a ship in orbit drop a bomb on top of it?"

"That's highly unlikely; I doubt the project leaders would be able to get that permission from the Matriarchs." He replied, completely serious.

As they kept walking through the area, she gave a depressed sigh. "We're not going to get that meteor opened, are we?" She asked, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"That's also highly unlikely." He admitted. He didn't like any more than she did (he was a scientist after all), but they had to accept the inevitability of the situation. The Alliance would come in, somehow pull the meteor out from the ground, and take back to Earth while their scientists looked it over on the way.

"So much for finding out the secret to chakra," She grumbled.

"Cheer up, Irzia. Who knows? We just might get through it before the Alliance arrives." He tried raising her spirits. When she got depressed over something, she would begin to think that it was hopeless and couldn't be done. In his personal experience, a determined and stubborn Irzia Legos was a happy Irzia Legos.

She smiled at him. "I appreciate what you're trying to do, Chirak, I really do. But I know that this project isn't going to go anywhere anymore." She briefly stretched her back, trying to get rid of the knot there.

"Well, don't show that attitude for a while." He said as he looked forward at the checkpoint. "A few people might think you were acting weird."

"Huh? What are you talking about?" She heard what could only be described as a high-pitched squeal and the patter of feet running across earth. Before she knew it, her left leg was suddenly a lot heavier than her right. Looking down, she saw a small Asari child attached to it.

"Hi, Auntie Irzia," The child said with a big grin.

She couldn't help but smile back. "Hello to you too, Hanabi," She replied. "Do you mind getting off my leg? I kinda need it."

"No way, I like it here!"

"Hanabi Legos!" Her father's voice rang out as he ran up to the three of them. "What have I told you about running up people and grabbing their legs?" He demanded. He was a human with long brown hair, dress in a simple shirt and jeans. The thing that caught your eye about him was ironically his eyes; they were pure white and looked like they had no pupils.

"To aim low, run fast, and do my best to bring them down with me!" She answered promptly, smiling at her father.

"You did teach her that, dear." An Asari woman told him with subdued humor as she joined them. "Hanabi, please get off your auntie's leg. She can't walk around with you on." She told her daughter.

"Do I have too?" Hanabi asked in a whiny tone.

"Yes, you have too. Otherwise, you won't get dessert tonight at dinner."

"Alright, alright, I'm getting off." She detached herself from the leg and walked over to her father's side.

"Thank you, dear." She turned to face her sister. "Hello, Irzia. Have you been well?" She asked in greeting.

"Yes, I have, Liesia. Thank you for asking." She replied before smiling. "Aren't you going to give your big sister a hug?" Liesia quickly engulfed her big sister in a bear hug, which she returned with equal measure. Even though she was two hundred years older than her, Irzia loved her little sister all the same. When they broke the hug, she looked over at the human standing in silence and the smile dimmed a little. "Neji," She greeted him a little stiffly.

"Doctor Irzia." He replied in the same fashion. The two of them had never really seen eye to eye. According to him, he was a shinobi who was on "indefinite leave", which made no sense to her. She only knew that he was supposedly from a notable and famous clan from Earth and that had something to do with his eyes, which she had learned was called a Kekkei Genkai. But that was the only thing she knew about them. He never told her what that meant because he knew about how she wanted to study chakra.

Chirak could see that he wasn't needed in the group anymore. "I'll be going now, Irzia." He told her, getting her attention. "I'll go see what novel idea they'll come up with next in order to break through the meteor. It was a pleasure meeting you three." He told Liesia's family before walking away, heading to the cafeteria tent.

"So how has the project been coming?" Liesia asked her sister. The blackout that the meteor had caused was all over the news network for two days. It was soon followed by a statement that the meteor would be thoroughly investigated.

"It hasn't been going anyway, if I'm to be truthful." She answered as she led them to a nearby empty table. There were tables set up all around the area so that anyone could either take a quick break, or set down with food and/or their work. Either way, it was a way to relax for a few minutes before going back to work. "We've tried every known method of drilling to try and get through the meteor, but nothing has worked. If that wasn't enough, we still have no idea how it's giving off the chakra reading."

"Wait, are you saying this meteor has chakra?" Neji asked surprised at what he heard. The astonished look on his face soon turned into anger. "How long were you planning on withholding this information?"

"There's no need to get riled up, Neji. The Systems Alliance has already been informed." She told him.

"But you still kept it hidden. You were trying to find out if you use the meteor to use chakra, weren't you?" He accused.

"Well maybe if you shared with the rest of the galaxy its secrets, maybe we wouldn't have to resort to this kind of thing." She replied with a biting tone in her voice.

"The Systems Alliance has told you all countless times; we are not going to hand over the secrets of chakra."

"What could be the harm? Just think of the possibilities that could if the other races happen use chakra too?"

"So you would let the krogan become more powerful? Or give the batarians more incentive to raid colonies and take people away in slavery? How about if an Ardat-Yakshi learned how to use it? How many people would be dead because of that?"

"Those things would never happen!" She protested. "There would be precautions against that kind of thing happening."

"You cannot possibly expect me or any shinobi to believe that your 'precautions' would be enough to stop it from happening. All it would take is one slip up, one mistake and it's out there for every single pirate, slave trader, murderer, and who knows what else to use!"

"Oh, like you don't already have those problems within your own species!"

"That's enough!" Liesia suddenly shouted, stopping the both of them from continuing the fight. Their hands were clenched and it honestly looked like they were about to come to blows. "What is the matter with you two?" She demanded. "We're a family, we don't need to be having the same fight our governments are having with each other. And the both of you are scaring Hanabi." Hanabi was indeed frightened. She had never seen her father and her aunt get into an argument. Sure they had a few words of disagreement once in a while, but now they looked like they were about to come to blows.

Neji and Irzia shared a look and shared a silent agreement: they don't fight in front of Hanabi. "Sorry for scaring you like that, Hanabi." Irzia apologized to her niece. "Your father and I didn't mean to do that in front of you."

"It's okay." She replied. "You and Daddy don't share the same opinion, that's all." An expression of uncertainty made its way onto her face after she said that.

When the adults saw the expression on her face, they became concerned. "What's the matter, Hanabi?" Neji asked his daughter.

"Um…well, I had an idea. If the big rock was giving off chakra, then maybe Daddy could take a look at it."

"What good would it do if your father looked at it?" Irzia asked her niece, curious as to where this was going.

"You didn't know, Auntie Irzia? Daddy can see energy in the air with his eyes!"

"Hanabi, what I can do with my eyes is a secret." Neji told his daughter in a reprimanding voice.

"But Auntie is family!" She protested. "If you can't tell your family a secret, then who can you tell?"

He wanted to argue, but his daughter had a good point. If you can't trust your family, who can you trust? He turned to look at his sister-in-law. "Can I assume I won't be arrested if I examine the meteor?" He asked her.

"Everyone already knows that the Alliance is coming, so people won't be concerned if you're here. I'll just tell them you're on leave for a couple of weeks so you can be with your family." She answered.

"Okay. Then I expect you to keep quiet about what Hanabi told you."

"Fine," She agreed. It wasn't like she could to her superiors and tell them what she just heard; they would think she was losing it. And while she suspected his eyes had something to do with the Kekkei Genkai, she didn't have proof. "Follow me." She stood up from the seat and began to walk back to the meteor, her family right behind her.

As they approached the meteor, they were stopped by one of the security teams. "Dr. Legos, what are you doing?" The team leader, an asari, asked.

"Have you heard about the Alliance coming here?" She asked in return.

She nodded her head. "The news has been going around the camp like wildfire."

"My brother-in-law is a shinobi on leave. He's here to take a look at the meteor and give the Alliance a preliminary report when they arrive."

She looked over at Neji. "Is what she said true?"

He nodded. "Yes. I am a shinobi, so I can report my findings to the Alliance. You have no fear of me reporting to anyone but the Alliance." He assured them. That was the main fear of the Citadel Council, that the secret to chakra would be discovered without their or the Alliance's knowledge and be sold to the highest bidder.

"Very well, you may examine the meteor." She removed her finger from the trigger of her weapon. "We shall be nearby if you need us, Dr. Legos." She told Irzia before walking away along with her team.

"Cheerful." He remarked to himself.

"We're not exactly a cheerful lot the way things have been going around here." Irzia reminded him. "Just do whatever it is you're going to do and get it over with."

"Be nice to my husband, Irzia." Liesia told her sister.

Neji turned his attention to the meteor. "Alright, let's do this." He folded his hands into a handseal. **"Byakugan."** He intoned. The veins near his temples bulged out enough to be seen by the visible eye, which startled Irzia. "Kami, you weren't kidding when you said this had chakra. It's bathed in it!" What he saw was the entire meteor completely covered in chakra, like a giant sphere shining brightly with the stuff. "That would explain why you haven't been able to get through. The chakra's protecting the meteor."

"It can do something like that?" Liesia asked in astonishment, looking at her amusement. She knew biotics could produce kinetic fields that acted like shields. But she also knew that it's required to have a person using biotics to do something like that. She had never heard of something like this before.

"Not even humans know everything about chakra and we've been using it long before we met the rest of the galaxy." He told her. When she heard those words, Irzia realized something important. One of the reasons humanity refused to let other races study chakra was because they still didn't know everything about it. Even though there were still some studies, the galaxy pretty much knew everything there was to know about biotics (at least in her humble opinion). If humanity didn't know everything about chakra, it would make sense that they don't reveal everything they knew. But that was only one reason; she was sure that there more to it than that. "That's odd." Neji said aloud, bringing her attention back to him. "The chakra is…different. There's something else in it."

"What do you mean by different?" She asked.

"Usually chakra is made up of only two energies, spiritual and physical. The meteor seems to have a third energy in its chakra."

"Is that new?" Liesia asked her husband.

"No not at all. In fact, I know that the third energy comes from nature and those who used it are called **Sennin** (Sage). But the last known Sennin were the third generation of the Densetsu no Sannin and they died in the War of Three Flags, almost two thousand years ago."

"That's funny, according to the carbon scans we've done, the meteor is just a little over two thousand years. But that still doesn't explain how the chakra is being generated or what causing the life signature."

"What life signature?" Liesia asked.

"From what we can tell, there is something alive inside the meteor. That's way we've been trying to drill through, so we can find what's in there."

Neji narrowed his eyes, trying look past the barrier of chakra and into the meteor itself. "There is…something." He said as he concentrated. "I think I see someone in there. I'm not sure, but it looks…human-like."

"Hey Daddy, look at this!" Hanabi said, breaking his concentration and turning off the **Byakugan**. While the adults had been looking at the meteor, she had gotten closer to it. "There's something craved into the rock right there!" She pointed up to a spot that Neji could easily touch just by reaching out. But his daughter was smaller, so she had to stand on the tips of her toes to reach it. Before anyone could stop her, she reached up and touched the spot.

As soon as her fingers grazed the rock, the entire meteor lit up like a light. Everyone in the area fell to their knees as they felt an overwhelming sense of sadness, desperation, confusion, and sheer _presence_! If they were able to look at the computer screens, the scientists would've seen that the chakra readings had reached an unbelievable height. But just as soon as it had appeared, the sense disappeared. People all around the area were getting back, albeit shakily, and were wondering what exactly happened.

"HANABI!" Liesia screamed out loud as she saw her daughter on the ground, completely still with her eyes closed. Both she and Neji bolted to their daughter and picked her up of the ground. A nearby security team ran over and called for medical transport after seeing her in their arms.

(Location: Serrice Republic Hospital)

Neji, Liesia, and Irzia waited outside a room in the hospital. Once the medical transport had gotten to the crash site, they had whisked Hanabi away to the nearby Republic in order to make sure she was okay. That had been two hours ago and her parents were still worried. Irzia was also worried, but she was angry. She was half-tempted to take what biotic power she had and hurl at the meteor for what it might have done to her niece. But the rational part of her mind told her that was not a good idea.

When the asari doctor came out of the room, Neji and Liesia all but leapt out of the seats. "Is my daughter okay, doctor?" Liesia asked her. Irzia also stood up with the question written on her face.

"Yes, whatever happened to her just made her fall unconscious, that's all." The doctor assured them.

Both the parents released sighs of relief. "Thank you, Kami." Neji said with relief. He was not, by any means, a religious man (even though there were plenty of religions to go around on Earth alone), but he gave his thanks to whoever listened and watched his back.

"However, there are two things that concern us." She continued. "We did a scan to see if there were any internal injuries per standard procedure and we found no traces of eezo in her body."

The news stunned the three. "That should be impossible." Irzia protested. There was good reason for the protest. It was a well-known fact that an asari was a natural biotic; the two went hand-in-hand.

"We did a second scan just to double check and we got the same results. Somehow, Hanabi has lost the ability to be a biotic."

Although he was stunned by those words, Neji didn't dwell on it. If his daughter was okay, then it didn't matter whether if she had biotics or not. "You said that there two things that you were concerned about?" He asked.

"Yes. What was the color of Hanabi's eyes?"

"What do you mean?" Liesia asked. "They're supposed to be brown."

"We checked her eyes to see if they still reacted to light. Her eyes have turned completely white and it looks like she has no pupils either."

Both Irzia and Liesia looked over at Neji, who had the exact same eyes as the doctor described. "That's not possible." Irzia softly protested. "Asari children are always pure asari; they receive nothing from the father, not even DNA."

"I'm sorry, I don't know how else to explain it." The doctor replied. The two of them would've gotten into an argument had Chirak not turned the corner and saw them.

"Irzia, there you are." He said as he hurried over to them. "How is Hanabi?"

"She's fine, for now." She told him, omitting the fact that she wasn't a biotic anymore and her eyes had changed. For now, those things were kept between the family and doctor. "What's happening at the site?"

"It's been complete chaos. After you and your family left, everyone's been a flurry trying to figure out what caused that reaction from the meteor. Apparently when we were all brought to our knees from that presence, the chakra readings had spiked to a tremendous level. I know it's all little obvious to say at this point, but it seems that the spike in the chakra reading is connected to the presence we all felt." He explained.

"What about the spot Hanabi touched?"

"We've been going over it in full protection gear too; nobody wants what happened to occur twice in a row. We've managed to get a digital image of the carving, but we can't make any sense of it." He handed her a data-pad that had the image of the carving on display.

She took and looked it over. The image was of five symbols encircling what she knew to be a kanji. But she had no idea what the symbols were and she didn't know how to translate the kanji. "May I take a look?" Neji asked her after he noticed the look of confusion on her face. She nodded and wordlessly handed him the pad.

"What do those symbols mean, Neji?" Liesia asked. Even though they didn't ask, both Irzia and Chirak wanted to know as well.

"These are the symbols of the Hidden Villages that belonged to the Five Great Shinobi Countries." He answered as he looked over the image again and again. "But those symbols haven't been used since the Fourth Shinobi World War. What the hell are they doing on a meteor?"

"What does the kanji mean?" Irzia asked him.

"It's the kanji for 'seal', but I don't understand why…" He trailed off as he went over the information that he had heard regarding the meteor, getting confused looks from his wife and sister-in-law as well as Chirak. "Irzia, how old did you say the carbon dating was on the meteor?" He asked in a quiet voice.

"It's just a little over two thousand years old." She promptly answered, wondering why he had asked.

"Dear Kami in heaven above." He swore in a tone that sounded both surprised and reverent. He turned over to the doctor, who had been staying out of the conversation out of respect. "Does the hospital have a secure communications room?" He practically demanded.

"Yes, it's on the second floor in the left wing." She answered. "You'll have to excuse me, but I have patients to attend to." She walked off

"Why do you need a communications room, Neji?" Liesia asked him.

"I'm sorry, Liesia, I really am. But I can't tell you right now. I have to get in contact with my superiors. I'll be back as soon as I can." He took off down the hallway, leaving behind two confused and mystified sisters as well as a salarian.

* * *

Codex Entry (Humanity and the Systems Alliance): SYSTEMS ALLIANCE

_The Systems Alliance is the representative body of Earth and all human colonies in Citadel space. Backed by Earth's most powerful nations, the Alliance has become humanity's military, exploratory, and economic spearhead as well as being responsible for the governance and defense of all extra-solar colonies and stations._

_The Systems Alliance began at the end of the Fourth Shinobi World War. After the fighting had stopped and victory had been assured, the Five Kages realized that it would be both redundant and pointless to go back to the old ways, especially if they began fighting each other. They decided to take their case to the Daimyos and asked that the Shinobi Alliance become permanent, with the samurai from the Land of Iron agreeing on the idea. The Daimyos agreed and the Unified Shinobi Act was written up and passed. While the countries kept their nationalities, the shinobi transcended the borders and protected all of the countries. _

_With shinobi from different villages now acting as allies, the Elemental Countries focused less on protecting their own borders and making alliances and focused more on improving trading and exploration. The exploration done by the Elemental Countries was so they could find new lands and new products to bring back and trade. Many of these explorations had shinobi on as protection detail._

_Within five years of the first exploration mission, the Elemental Countries had found two different continents, each with their own people and nation. The continent known as the Frontier was east of the Elemental Countries and was home to the Empire of Steel, a nation where people used steam to power machines. They knew of chakra, but chose to follow the way of technology. The continent known as Midgard was to the north of both the Elemental Countries and the Frontier and was home to the people of the __Hlíf__. While not as technologically advanced as the Empire or the Countries, Hlíf warriors made up for it with their tenacity, keen tactical minds, ability to dominate a fight, and knowing how to conduct raids on enemy towns. They also had a basic understanding of chakra, using it to enter to a berserker state._

_Despite meeting under peaceful ideals, tensions soon began to rise between the three. Different customs, trading acts, social standing, and poorly chosen words all played a part in the rising of hostilities, but the main reason for it all was simply because each land was dealing with strangers who were incredibly different, which made them highly paranoid. The tensions and hostilities finally came to a breaking point and the end result was a conflict known as the War of Three Flags (the reason for this name was because each continent had their own flag to carry into battle)._

_Despite the initial deadlock, the war eventually ended in victory for the shinobi. But instead of completely annihilating their enemies or subjecting them into slavery, the Shinobi Alliance offered generous terms of peace, of which the Empire and the Hlíf gladly accepted. They joined the Alliance, which prompted the change of name to the Human Alliance. People of both the Frontier and Midgard were allowed to learn how to properly use and harness chakra (which had been forbidden before the war) and could become shinobi in their own right. Beliefs and culture, which had been jealously guarded before the war, were now shared freely._

_Their exploration missions continued and over the years, they had discovered many more nations and countries. The Island Kingdoms, the People-from-the-Mountain, and the Tribes of the Great Jungle are only a few they found and had joined the Alliance. It was in during the late 1800s the Human Alliance had completely mapped out the Earth. It was only a century later they turned their gaze towards space._

_After several years of careful planning, studying, experimenting, engineering, and building, the Human Alliance launched their first spaceship on October 10__th__, 1981 with the mission to land on the moon and safely come back. The mission was successful and more followed, each time pushing farther out into their solar system. As they pushed further and further into space, past their solar system and discovering the mass relay orbiting Shinigami, they changed their name from the Human Alliance to the Systems Alliance, which meant to serve as a promise that even humans who weren't born on Earth were still under their protection. A promise that was kept at Shanxi (See: Frist Contact War)._

* * *

**End**

**Author's note: **Thank you for all the reviews you've sent me.

The idea of asari, salarian, and turian scientists not being able to crack open the meteor was a notion that came to me as I was reading about Thessia on the Mass Effect wiki. I thought it would've been ironic if something had landed on the 'crown jewel of the galaxy' and only humans could solve it. Keep in mind that this is just before the first game, so that idea would've probably infuriated the more xenophobic asari (how would you feel if something landed on your planet and the only way you could deal with it was to call for outside help).

Now I know that asari supposedly don't get anything from their father, not even DNA, and I know there might be a couple of readers out there who will object to what I'm about to say, but I think there is something of the father in an asari child. His DNA helped create the child, so his blood is the child's blood. That is the basis of what I'm doing with Hanabi.

The entire thing with Hanabi losing her biotics and her eyes changing color is on purpose. I've been playing with this story for quite some time, so I hashed out most of the details for this part of the story. An explanation will come later, I promise.

If I was to say that the Elemental Countries were the only countries on Earth, I'd sound like an idiot. There are sure to be then one continent on that Earth, it's just a matter of creative thinking (plus having the Elemental Countries eventually become Japan is cliché and would not work). It also gives me a chance to better develop the human lore part of the Codex (if I can managed that). And yes, the Empire was based on steampunk and the people from Midgard were based on the Vikings.

I'm sure there are a few of you who are going to that my Codex entry was hypocritical when it came to allowing strangers to better understand chakra. If you think about it, it's not at all hypocritical. The Empire and the Hlíf are human and they knew about chakra (even though they had different names for it), the shinobi simply taught them more about it and how to better use it (please bear in mind, this was after a war). Allowing strangers who kinda know about chakra to study and learn it is not the same as letting strangers who have no idea about chakra study and learn it. That is why the Systems Alliance keeps refusing to allow the Council races to study it.

I'll see you all next chapter!


	3. Open Sesame

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Mass Effect.

Misplaced

Chapter 3: Open Sesame

"Talking"

"_Thinking"_

"**Biju/VI/Geth/Reaper talking"**

"_**Biju/VI/Geth/Reaper thinking"**_

Reading/ News/Intercom

(Location: Serrice Republic Spaceport)

Neji and Liesia were waiting nearby as the Alliance ship landed. It was a frigate (brand new, if Neji had to guess) and on its side was its name. "The Normandy," Liesia read aloud. "You humans sure do love naming your ships after battles." She said to her husband with a small smile.

"It's a way of reminding us, I guess." He replied shortly. The smile fell from her lips. Ever since the hospital three days ago, he had been subdued and quiet. He had spent those days sitting by Hanabi's bed, the only time a smile came across his face was when she was awake. Even though Hanabi had simply been knocked unconscious, she still remained in the bed at the hospital. Though the doctors said it was so she could get some rest, they both knew the real reason why.

When the ship was finally docked, the hatch opened. The first person to step out was a man with dark skin, showing that he was from either from the Mountain or the Land of Lightning. His hair was cut short in military fashion and he wore his uniform proudly. Behind him was another man. He was much older and also wore his uniform with pride. He also carried scars on his face from battles he had fought.

They took noticed of Neji and Liesia waiting nearby and walked over to them. "Admiral Hackett, Captain Anderson." Neji greeted them with a salute.

"Hyuuga," Hackett returned the salute, as did Anderson. "I take it the crash site is secured?"

"Yes sir. The Ninth Fleet had answered your signal and sent a ship here. The shinobi on board came ashore and secured the crash site, reliving the military presence the asari, turians, and salarians already had there."

"Good. We'll begin making our way to the crash site." Anderson told him before engaging his com. "Pressly, have the precious cargo come out." With a few minutes, four teams of shinobi exited the ship. In the center of the formation, two samurai carried what looked to be an ancient chest. It didn't look like much, just small and old, but the samurai carried it like they were afraid it would break if they held it wrong.

"What is that?" Liesia asked, curious about it.

"That is the cause for the incident with the thieves last year." Hackett told her briefly. She didn't bother asking what he meant, because she knew what had happened. In the past few years, there was a group of thieves who were from multiple races. They were infamous due to the fact they were able to steal anything from anyone without being caught. However, they didn't keep their identities secret. As a matter of fact, they flaunted them every time they were on screen. Despite numerous protests for them to be arrested, they kept getting away scot free. This was mostly due to their highly rich parents, who kept paying off the right people to ignore it all. The thieves eventually decided to break into one of Earth's highly protected vaults, in order to steal what was inside. However, they had made two mistakes. The first was that they decided to try to break into the vault where the most valuable treasure of Earth had been placed and therefore, had the highest possible grade of security. The second was that they had no idea how chakra worked or how integrated it was into the security. As a result, they had been caught before even getting past the first level of security.

Instead of being released after money had exchanged the proper hands, like they had expected, the thieves had quickly executed with no trial, in public so everyone could see what had happened. The following result was a huge fuss created by the parents, who accused the Systems Alliance of being barbaric, that their children were allowed to have a fair trial and the Alliance executed them simply because they weren't human. The Alliance's reply was simply. "We executed your children because they decided to try and steal something that holds more value to us than anything the rest of the galaxy could ever offer. If you want to blame someone, blame yourselves for being poor parents. The way we see it, we did the galaxy a service by killing them." After that statement was released, the blame had been shifted from the Alliance to the parents. As far as she could tell, they were still having difficulty retaining a good public image.

"There is one thing I should mention, sir." Neji spoke, getting the Admiral's attention. "The ship that came was in the midst of having its medical bay equipment updated as well as getting a new installation. So unless the Normandy has the necessary equipment, we'll have to use the local hospital."

"Very well, I'll be sure to notify the chain of command about this." He replied. They watched in silence as the chest and its security was loaded into a nearby elevator. "Son, I hope you're right about this. If you're wrong, it could very well end your military career." He said in a cautionary tone, being careful not to make it sound like a threat.

"Sir, if I'm wrong about this, I will resign from the military myself." He replied, having caught the caution in Hackett's words.

Anderson smiled slightly when he heard that. He admired the fact that the conviction of the man in front of him. "If you gentlemen, and lady, will excuse me, I have to ensure the precious cargo gets to the crash site safely." He stated to the other three.

"Understood Anderson, we will meet you there." Hackett gave him a salute, which he returned before walking away and getting into the elevator. They watched in silence as the doors closed and the sound of the elevator going down faded away. The silence grew somewhat awkward as they just stood around.

"I…um…I take it he came with you?" Neji asked hesitantly. He was glad to see the man again, but he really didn't want it to be under these conditions.

"Yes, he did." The Admiral answered. The hatch opened again and more people stepped out. While some of them wore uniforms and some didn't, they all shared the same eye color of pure white, the same color Neji had. They walked in a formation, protecting a single person who was in the center.

They stopped in front of the three and stepped to the side, letting the person who they were protecting step forward. Though he was older and held a calm expression on his face, he was a dead ringer for Neji. "Admiral Hackett, I thank you for providing me and my guard travel to Thessia." He said.

"It was no trouble at all, Lord Hizashi."

He smiled briefly before turning his gaze onto Neji. "Neji, I hope you have been well." He greeted, his calm expression replaced with slight warmth. He was glad to see him, but they were in public and he had to behave accordingly.

"I have, Father." Neji greeted him in return. "You remember my wife, Liesia?"

"Yes, I do." He looked at her. "You haven't aged a day, dear."

"You flatter me, Lord Hyuuga." She replied with a smile. She had met Neji's father before, at her wedding. She remembered him as a man who smiled at the antic of the children there, but could be stern, as when he had struck one of his clansmen, who had gotten drunk and insulted Neji and her at the same time, and ordered him to leave. When the clansmen objected, he was thrown out instead. Afterwards, Neji's father apologized to everyone there and to them as well.

"I take it that Hanabi hasn't left the hospital?" Hizashi asked. While it was good to see his son and daughter-in-law, it was the situation with his granddaughter that forced him to come here.

Neji nodded. "Liesia's sister is keeping an eye on her."

"Well, we might as well go see her." He started walking towards the elevator, with his guard close behind as well as Neji, Liesia. Hackett stayed, believing this to be a family situation and thus, he was not needed. As soon as they had left, he went on board the Normandy to inform the rest of the chain of command about the hospital situation.

(Location: Serrice Republic Hospital)

Irzia sat outside Hanabi's room, waiting for Neji and Liesia to come back or for Hanabi to finish the book she was reading. Hanabi always enjoyed reading; ever since Neji had first cracked open a book to read to her. When she started reading, she was engrossed in her own little world and got annoyed when someone brought her back to the real one.

But as she read, her aunt was having a mental argument with herself. One part of her was saying that they should keep Hanabi on Thessia and study her, figuring out how she had gotten chakra and finding out if it could be given to others, either by cloning or when she could breed. The other part of her mind, the bigger part, was saying that they couldn't do that to their own niece, not even if it would greatly benefit the Asari.

While she argued with herself, Neji, his father, and Liesia came around the corner. "Irzia," Liesia called out, getting her attention and making her standing up. "My father-in-law is here to look at Hanabi to confirm what Neji has suspected."

"Lord Hyuuga," She greeted formally, bowing her head.

"Thank you for watching over my granddaughter, Doctor Irzia." Hizashi replied.

"Is she asleep?" Neji asked his sister-in-law.

She shook her head. "She was awake and reading, last time I checked."

He walked over to the door and knocked on it before opening it "Hanabi, your grandfather is here to see you." He told his daughter, who was sitting in the bed with book in hand.

She looked up with interest. "Grandpa's here?" She asked as she put the book aside as her father walked into the room.

"Indeed, I am." Hizashi said as he joined his son and granddaughter in the room and sat beside the bed. Liesia followed while Irzia and the Hyuuga guard all crowded around the door. "And I believe I've told you before to call me Grandfather, it is much more respectful then Grandpa."

"But calling you Grandpa is the same thing as calling you Grandfather!" She objected. "It's just less of a mouthful."

"Um…I take it the two of you have had this argument before?" Irzia asked as she watched.

"Many times," Liesia assured her sister.

"But anyway, why are you here Grandpa?" Hanabi asked, acting like the recent conversation never even happened.

"What? I can't visit my own granddaughter for no reason?" Hizashi asked in a mock hurt tone.

"Only when it's my birthday," She replied with a straight face, not battering a single eyelash. The Hyuuga guard had to stifle both smiles and chuckles, but they were hard-pressed to do it. It was very rare to see Hizashi Hyuuga being one-upped by someone, so it was entertaining when it did happen.

"Fair enough, but the truth is, Hanabi, I am here to see you. Do you remember what happened to you three days ago?"

"Um…kinda, I can remember everything up till I saw something carved on the big white rock. But after that, I just remember waking up the next day in this bed. I kept telling the nurses and doctors that I was fine, but they keep ignoring me." She finished with an annoyed huff.

"Yeah, I've had my fair share of that." He said with a warm smile, remembering his days as a shinobi. How he spent days in the hospital, insisting that he was completely fine and was ignored by the professionals. "But the doctors and nurses have kept you here so I could come and talk to you." It was a lie, but she didn't need to know that. "Have you been given a mirror, Hanabi?"

"I know what my eyes look like, Grandpa. I'm not stupid." She told him with another annoyed huff.

"I never said you were. Have your eyes done anything that feels odd to you?"

She thought it over before answering. "There…were a few times when I woke up. I thought I could see through walls and outside the hospital, but that was usually when I still groggy from waking up, so I didn't think anything of it."

"I see." Even though he didn't turn his head to behind him, he knew that his son, daughter-in-law, and guard all shared a look. Hanabi had just described some of the abilities of the **Byakugan**, but had thought it was a mere trick of her sleepy mind. There was just one thing else he had to check. "Hanabi, do you mind if I look at you with my **Byakugan**?"

"No, I don't mind. But why do you want to use them anyway?"

"I just want to check something, dear." He folded his hands into a handseal. **"Byakugan."** He muttered, activating his eyes. He carefully examined his granddaughter before deactivating the **Byakugan**. "I thought as much." He said with a sigh.

"Does she have…?" Neji asked, leaving the question hanging.

"Yes, she does."

"I have what?" Hanabi asked, curious about what they were talking about and a little scared. "What are you two talking about?"

"Hanabi, you know that you don't have any more eezo, right?" Neji asked his daughter. When she nodded, he continued. "Well, it seems that it's somehow been replaced with chakra."

The look of stunned silence and wonder on the faces of the asari in the room would've been a little funny, if it wasn't such a concerning issue. "I have chakra?" Hanabi repeated before breaking out a grin. "Cool!"

"How much chakra does she have?" Liesia asked.

"She has just enough to activate her **Byakugan** as well as climb the trees or walk on water and do the basic three Jutsu, but that's it." Hizashi told them.

"Neji, why didn't you examine Hanabi yourself?" Irzia asked. "You had more than enough time to do that in the past three days."

"Just because I can see chakra, doesn't mean I can measure how much there is." He defended himself and his actions. "My father's much better at it then I am and I thought he should know about this."

"But how did she even get chakra in the first place? A lot of people will want an explanation for this."

"If I had to guess, I would say the meteor somehow sensed she had a human father and activated it." Hizashi answered.

"Grandpa, asari children don't get anything from the father. We're always born as 100% asari." Hanabi told him, unconsciously lapsing into the same tone of voice her teachers used when they were explaining the concept in school.

"Don't be so sure about that, Hanabi. Just because you are 100% asari, doesn't mean there isn't something of your father in you. He helped sire you, so you are of his blood. Maybe the meteor sensed this and somehow used its own chakra to activate your own. The fact that it had nature energy mixed probably helped."

"…So what happens now?" asked Liesia sounding almost sacred, like she didn't want to hear the answer.

"The Matriarchs as well as the Council will want Hanabi to either stay on Thessia or be moved to a Citadel science station so her chakra can be studied and possibly be replicated." Irzia told her sister. The one part of her mind that supported the idea hoped that they would be selected to be a part of the team that studied her. The other part of her mind all shouted that that was their niece.

"They can't do that!" The mere thought of her daughter being cooped up in a cage or an empty room made her both equally terrified and enraged.

"They cannot and will not, Liesia, because I will not allow it." Hizashi assured her.

Everyone else in the room looked at him like he had said something both odd and retarded. "What do you mean by that, Lord Hyuuga?" One of his guards asked a bit hesitantly.

"As of this moment, as soon as Hanabi is discharged from the hospital, she and her family are coming with us back to Earth so she can learn how to harness and properly utilize her chakra." He declared with absolute authority.

While looks of relief showed themselves on Neji's and Liesia's faces, Irzia wasn't so sure about that. "I don't think the Council will let that fly." She pointed out. "Technically speaking, she's an asari, so she would have to listen to what the Matriarchs tell her."

"She is also a member of the Hyuuga clan and as the head of the clan as well as her grandfather, I can decide that she is to come with us and your Council would not have any legal ground to stop me."

She knew he had a point. When the Citadel Council recognized and welcomed Humanity to the galactic community, they also welcomed the laws of humanity, which included the law of the clan head having final say about anyone in his clan. But she also knew that the Council wasn't about to let a chance like this slip out of their fingers. "They're probably going to argue that point for all its worth." She told him. "And what would happen once she becomes a shinobi? Odds are they'll try to make her show them how to do it, or let them study her." She deliberately left the possibility of her becoming breeding stock, both due to the fact that Hanabi and her parents were still in the room.

"When she's becomes a shinobi, she will swear the oath, just like any other shinobi." He told her. The oath, which had been around since the end of the Fourth Shinobi World War, was something a shinobi made upon officially becoming one. They swore that they swore never to divulge secrets to enemies and to kill themselves before giving the secret to harnessing chakra up to people who weren't allies. That oath was one of the many reasons the Council races knew so little about chakra.

"Lord Hizashi, there is a possibility that the oath won't be enough." One of the guards said. "She might accidently say something about chakra to someone who would then take it to the Council."

"What are you implying, Hiro?" Neji asked the guard suspiciously.

"We could always use 'that' jutsu." He suggested. While he didn't say it out loud, every Hyuuga there knew what he was talking about: the **Hyuuga Sōke no Juinjutsu** (Hyuuga Main Family's Cursed Seal Technique). A jutsu that had a dark part with the Hyuuga clan, the formula to it had been sealed away in a location known only to the head of the clan.

"That jutsu is forbidden, you know it and I know it. Neither the elders or the Alliance would even consider the notion of allowing us to unseal and use it."

"I'd think they'd make an exception this time." Had several others of the guard not stopped Neji from leaping at him, he would've been dead from several ruptured organs.

"Neji!" cried Liesia as she watched her husband struggle against the guards holding him back.

"Calm down, Neji!" One of the guards, Kyo, pleaded with him.

"You ever even _think_ of suggesting that again, I will kill you! Got it?!" He yelled at Hiro.

"Neji, you compose yourself!" His father ordered sounding like the clan head he was. "This is a hospital, not a street or even a battlefield!" Neji was still furious, but his father had a point. He forced himself to calm down and to step away from the guards. "Have you calmed down?" Hizashi asked him.

"Yes sir." He answered.

"Good." He turned to look at Hiro, who was a little shaken at the display of rage Neji had shown. "However, the threat still stands, Hiro. If you ever suggest such a thing again, I will kill you myself. Are we clear about that?" He asked in an ice cold voice.

"Yes, Lord Hizashi, perfectly clear." He admitted.

"Excuse me, but I'm still here." Hanabi declared from her bed, getting the attention of everyone in the room. "Besides, I'm not stupid enough to tell someone about a secret I know I have to stay silent about." She said as she looked at Hiro, furious indignation shining brightly in her white eyes.

"My-my apologies, Lady Hanabi," He said, deciding to be a little more formal then needed. The last he wanted was to earn the unending ire of the clan head, his son, and his granddaughter all at the same time.

"Besides, you all haven't asked what I think of all this and what I to do." She pointed out.

The adults in the room had the decency to look embarrassed for talking about Hanabi while she was in the room and not even consider what she thought about the entire thing. "Then what do you think about all of this then, Hanabi?" Neji asked his daughter.

"It's obvious, isn't it? I want to be a shinobi!" She declared brightly.

"Hanabi, the path of the shinobi is not an easy one." Her grandfather warned her. "It will be hard and you will either lose yourself or your friends. Are you sure you want to be one?"

She scowled at him. "Rock Lee was probably told the same thing and he did it with virtually no chakra at all."

They could see where she was coming from. Rock Lee was a famous shinobi during the Fourth Shinobi World War. He was a shinobi who could only use Taijutsu, but that didn't stop him. He had focused everything into learning Taijutsu that by the time the Fourth Shinobi World War ended, it was said that he could knock a house down with a single punch (although there were a few people who believed he could do that with just a sneeze). Even shinobi who weren't from the same village as him had been cautious and respectful to him. "So you believe that you can be the same as Rock Lee, is that it? That will be quite difficult." Hizashi warned her.

"I can take it." She stated with absolute certainty.

He looked her straight in the eye before smiling. "I'm sure you can."

"Um…Lord Hizashi, I just got a message from Captain Anderson." Kyo said, removing his hand from his com. "He says that they're all ready at the crash site. All they need now is you."

"Thank you Kyo, but I will not be going. I wish to talk to my granddaughter a little more about what she wants to get into. Neji will take my place."

"What? Father, are you sure about that?" Neji asked in surprise. He hadn't been expected to be given the honor of what his father had silently given him. His main concern had been about his daughter. "It would be better if the head of the clan be there instead of his son."

His father looked straight at him. "Neji, your namesake had fought alongside him in the Fourth Shinobi World War and had died protecting him. As his descendent, it would only be right for you to be the one to bring him back to the land of the living."

He still felt that his father should do it, but he could also understand his reasoning. "Very well, I will go." He turned around to the door. "Kyo, contact Captain Anderson and inform him about the changes in plan."

"I'm going too." Irzia declared. "There is no way I'm not. I've been trying to get that meteor open for three days straight." Her eyes silently dared anyone to say otherwise.

"Fine, you're coming with me then. Will you come too, Liesia?" He asked, looking back to his wife.

She shook her head. "No, I'll stay here with your father and talk to Hanabi. There's going to be a lot of details regarding the move to Earth."

"Okay, I'll see you and Hanabi later." He and Irzia walked out of the room. Half of the guard followed them while the other half took positions outside of the room. They would stay there in until their lord was ready to leave and judging by the serious looks on both mother and grandfather, leaving wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

(Location: Crash site)

Neji and Irzia walked into the area around the meteor with the Hyuuga guard behind them. Until three days ago, the place had been filled to the brim with scientists and military personnel from all three of the Council races. Now the only race who were there were the humans. But there was no sign of any scientists at all, they were all military. Each and every human there was either in uniform or in armor, but they all had a kunai pouch on their legs and a gun in hand. "Captain Anderson." Neji greeted the captain as they walked up to him, saluting.

Anderson returned the salute in silence. "I received the message from your father about you taking his place." He said shortly, but not curtly. Neji could understand why he was like that. They didn't really know each other as the first time they met was three days ago when Neji ran for the communication room in the hospital.

(Flashback)

He all but ran into the room, closing and locking the door behind him. As he stepped into the middle of the room, the resident VI came to life. **"Greetings, how can I help you today?"** It asked him.

"I need you to put me into contact with the Systems Alliance HQ." He told her. "Send the transmission as with the Alliance Priority tag: Zero." That was the priority that would be sent to the nearest available admiral. To have gotten a Priority Zero meant that that something that could either be beneficial to the Alliance or be very harmful to them had been discovered.

"**Sending transmission now, thank you for your patience," **The VI disappeared and within minutes (which longer to Neji), a hologram of twopeople appeared. **"This is Admiral Stephen Hackett of the Fifth Fleet of the Systems Alliance and my associate, Captain Anderson."** Hackett introduced himself and Anderson, gesturing to the man in question.

"Sirs, I am ANBU agent Neji Hyuuga, code name: Falcon." Neji quickly introduced himself, saluting and then rolling up his sleeve to reveal the tattoo only ANBU received.

"**You've sent a Priority Zero transmission, Falcon; I'm assuming this is very important."**

"It could be _extremely _important, sir. Have you heard about the meteor that crashed into Thessia?"

"**Yes, we have." **Anderson answered him. **"It was all over the news for a week."**

"I have very good reason to believe that meteor holds Naruto Uzumaki inside of it."

There was silence for a good five minutes in the room. **"Are you absolutely sure about that?" **Hackett asked, completely serious. Every shinobi knew how the Fourth Shinobi World War had ended, but they never thought that he would return. That part of the story felt like a myth. But some shinobi had held hope that he would come back.

"Yes, Admiral, I am. When my family went to visit my wife's sister, she allowed me to take a look at the meteor so I could prepare a preliminary report for the ship that's supposed to be here in three days. I found that the entire meteor to be bathed in chakra that had nature energy added to it. There was also a carving on the side that the kanji for seal and the symbols of the Hidden Villages that belong to the Five Great Shinobi Countries encircling it. According to my sister-in-law, a Doctor Irzia Legos, the carbon scanning on the meteor put it to be just a little over two thousand years old. When I learned from Doctor Irzia that the meteor was giving off a life signature, I looked closer and could almost make out something that was human-like."

"**Is that all you found out about this meteor?"**

He took a moment to take a deep breath. While he knew had to inform them about this, he still felt he was about to walk a very thin rope. "No sir, there is one more thing. It was my daughter who pointed out the carving to me and before anyone could stop her, she touched it. When she did, the entire meteor lit up and everyone in the area was driven to their knees by the presence that had suddenly appeared. When the presence was gone, my daughter was unconscious. We rushed her to this hospital and we have just discovered that she no longer has any eezo in her body and that her eye color has turned to that of a Hyuuga. I suspect that she now has chakra."

The two holograms were surprised by that admission. **"And that all happened to her just by touching the meteor?"** Anderson asked for clarification. This was something they couldn't ignore, even if what Neji thought about the meteor was wrong.

"Yes sir."

Hackett stood in silence as he thought this over. **"If what you've said is true, Falcon, then this has become very complicated."** He finally said, earning looks of confusion from both Anderson and Neji.

"What do you mean, Admiral? How is this complicated?" Neji asked.

"**If the meteor does hold Naruto Uzumaki, then should we even let him out?"**

That question made him stunned and then angry. "With all due respect, Admiral, it was the dying wish of the surviving members of the Konoha Twelve, as well as the Godaime Kazekage and Hokage, that should Naruto Uzumaki ever be found, he was to be freed immediately!" He retorted.

"**Falcon has a point, sir." **Anderson agreed. **"I have lost count of how many kids who wanted to become shinobi so they could be like Naruto Uzumaki. He's the best symbol of humanity we could ever hope to have."**

"**I understand that, Anderson, I do. But we have to face the facts. Naruto Uzumaki was sealed away while he was fighting a war. What can we do with a shinobi like that in this time, especially since there is no war** **we're fighting?"**

They saw his logic and understood it. What could they do with a shinobi who had been in the midst of a war when they were in the middle of peacetime? That was when Anderson thought of something that would've made any sane man look at him like he had completely lost it. **"I have an idea."** He announced before sharing his idea to both Hackett and Neji.

Needless to say, both were completely and utterly stunned. **"Anderson, are you insane?"** Hackett bluntly asked him. **"Do you have any idea how Ambassador Udina will react if I suggest **_**that**_** idea to him?"**

"**Probably the same way we have. But if he thinks it over, he'll see the benefits of it."**

"Naruto Uzumaki is the only reason Humanity isn't enslaved to Obito Uchiha and the Infinite Tsukuyomi." Neji added in, beginning to see the benefits of the idea Anderson proposed. "He is one of, if not _the_ greatest hero of humanity. Personally, I can't think of as a more suitable candidate, sir."

Hackett just stared at the two of them before releasing a small sigh. **"Captain Anderson, I want you to send word to have the Key released from the vault and brought onboard the Normandy with a full guard. In the meantime, I'll make the call."**

"**Understood, Admiral," **Anderson answered.

(End Flashback)

It was after that call was over; Neji had made another one to Earthin order to inform his father about Hanabi, telling him the same thing he had told Hackett and Anderson about her lack of eezo, her change in eye color and his suspicion. "Are you ready?" Anderson asked him, knocking him out from his brief trip down memory lane.

"Yes, I am." He answered. He was nervous (who wouldn't be if they were in this kind of situation?), but he was ready. "Where's the Key?"

"It's over there." He pointed over to where the chest that was brought from the Normandy stood on the ground, next to the meteor.

As Neji made his way over to the chest, Irzia wondered why there was so much security for one key. She finally saw it when Neji knelt down, placed his hand on the chest and focused his chakra onto it. His hand was wreathed in the blue energy for a moment before disappearing. He removed his hand as the sound of locks unlocking filled the area. When the sound died away, he slowly opened the chest and pulled out a single piece of paper with the kanjis for freedom on it. He held it like it would break apart at any second. "That's the Key? The thing the human race considers to be its most valuable treasure?" Irzia asked in disbelief. "It's a piece of paper!"

"It's more than that, Doctor Irzia." Anderson told her. "It's not the thing itself that we consider valuable, but the promise it holds."

"And what promise is that?"

"It's the promise that if our greatest hero was ever found again, we would be able to free him."

"So why is Neji the holding it? Wouldn't this kind of thing require that a higher ranking officer be the one to do it?" She meant no disrespect to Neji, but he had never told her what his rank as a shinobi was. He could've been an enlisted man for all she knew.

"The reason Neji Hyuuga is holding the Key is because only the descendants of the Konoha Twelve are able to use it."

With the Key in hand, Neji stood up and slowly walked over the spot where the carving was found. He stood there for a minute, just looking at the carving. Releasing the breath he had been unconsciously holding, he gently placed the paper over the carving and held his remaining hand in a handseal. **"Kai **(Release)**."** He whispered.

The meteor lit up again for a brief moment as the Key stuck to the surface of it, allowing Neji to remove his hand. As the light died down, the sounds of rock cracking apart began to fill the air. Being the closest one to it, Neji could see cracks appearing from the around the Key. The sound became quicker and louder as the cracks began to spread. While one group of cracks went straight up, two other groups went around the sides. Eventually the sound stopped and the top of the meteor split in half. The two halves went further and further back, weakened by the cracks at their respective bottoms, before crashing into the ground with a resounding _THUD!_

But no one paid attention to the halves; they were focused on what was the inside of the meteor. In the exact middle of it laid a man in his twenties wearing a black and orange tracksuit that was several sizes too small for him. His eyes were closed, so they couldn't the color of them, but his blonde hair and the whisker marks on his cheeks announced his identity to all who saw him.

While the others were awestruck at the mere sight of this legendary hero, Neji had to be sure he wasn't dead. The Hyuuga quickly leapt to his side. When he saw that the person was breathing, he gave a sigh of relief. "He's alive." He announced to the rest of the people there. "But we still need to get him to the hospital. It looks like his muscles have atrophied; I'll need help picking him up."

When they heard that, the humans all sprang into action. Several of them surged forward to help Neji pick him up and hold him. They finally managed to figure it out, six people would carry him to the medical vehicle they had on standby, while the other formed a guard behind them. Without wasting anytime, the six carefully placed him in the medical vehicle. As the other climbed into other vehicles, they all drove out of the area, forming a convoy that protected the medical vehicle as they sped back towards the city and to the hospital.

* * *

Codex (Technology): SUMMONING

_The Summoning Jutsu (or __**Kuchiyose no Jutsu**__) is one of the more unique Jutsus to be invented. What it does is summon an animal companion to the user's side in exchange for a donation of blood and aid them in a battle._

_The process to be able to use this Jutsu is not easy. Potential users must first sign a contract with the clan of animals they wish to utilize in their own blood. After they have signed the contract, they then must be able to summon the leader of the clan (more usually called the Boss) and pass whatever test they are given. If they pass the test and the Boss believes them to be worthy, the user would be allowed to summon the clan of animals to help him or her in battle (it is unclear on what happens to users who fail the test given to them. This is mostly due to the fact that no shinobi ever speaks about the ones who failed and there are no records about them)._

_There is no clear indication of how many clans of animals there have been used in conjecture with the Summoning Jutsu. But it is generally agreed upon on the three most famous clans are the Toads, Snakes, and Slugs, which have been used by all three generations of the Densetsu no Sannin, a team of three shinobi that began during the Second Shinobi World War and lasted till the War of Three Flags._

_Today, there is not one shinobi who has made a contract with an animal clan and therefore, cannot use the Summoning Jutsu. The reason for this was because of the deaths of the third generation of the Sannin and their respective partners at the Massacre of __Unraikyō, __early in the war_. They had been violently killed by Hlíf warriors and had also been torn apart after they had died. To add final insult to the injury, the pieces were scattered around the entire area, making it almost impossible to find all the pieces and give them a proper burial (though later, with a great amount of manpower, the shinobi were able to find them all). 

_As the news of the deaths of the Sannin and the three Bosses reached the heirs to the clans, they lost faith in the shinobi and withdrew to their own lands. At the end of the war, no shinobi had dared try to become the new Summoner of the three clans, mostly because they feared that the new Bosses would blame the deaths of their parents on them and kill them, even after they had returned the remains of their parents to them. By the time someone had finally dared to try, five years after the war, the respective contracts had disappeared (according to some sources, they were taken back by the clans). As the war continued, more of the known animal clans followed their example and withdrew back to their lands, taking their contracts with them. After__the war had ended, the shinobi made no effort to try and see if they could get the support of the animals again (When asked that question, a Shinobi historian famously said "Because they weren't that stupid or crazy")._

_But even though the majority of the animal clans have withdrawn their support, there are some clans who are allied with the humans. This is considered rare, mostly due to the fact that most of the clans were allied with the shinobi. To date, there are only four animal clans that are still allied with humans. The difference between these clans and the Elemental clans in that they are passed down not from teacher to student, but from parent to child, as well as hailing from a land outside of the Elemental Countries. There's the Goats, which comes from Midgard (See: Veðr Clan), the Bears, from the Frontier (See: House Ursidae), the Kangaroos, from the Down-under (See: Clayton Family), and the Jaguars, from the Great Jungle (See: Gato Manchado Tribe). _

* * *

**End**

**Author's note: **Thank you for all the reviews you've sent me.

Yes, I am keeping Normandy as the name of the ship (it's practically mandatory to do that). Thankfully, I've already come up with a story for the name, so there's need to worry about that part.

I know I'm not really being original with names of the Hyuuga clan. But we already know that Hiashi was the clan head during Naruto's time. I just thought it would fit that the modern Neji's father was named Hizashi and he was the clan head.

I know that there will probably be a few of readers who will object to my theory about the relationship between an Asari child and their father, that her blood is his blood. But it's my theory and I'm sticking to it.

I'm fairly certain that the **Hyuuga Sōke no Juinjutsu **would've been banned from use after Hinata took over the clan. However, I'm also certain that despite her attempts, it wouldn't be outright destroyed. It would probably just be sealed and locked away.

Now, I said that this story was inspired by The Last Spartan. That means I'm going to be doing the same thing that story did and I'm sure there will a couple of readers who won't like, but I'm still doing it. There will be absolutely no mention of Shepard in this story. I want this story to be different then the majority of Naruto/Mass Effect crossovers I've read (let's face it, how many stories have you read where Naruto was a member of the Normandy alongside Shepard? And how many of those stories were actually good?).

Yes, I took away the use of Summons for the shinobi, and I did it for a very good reason. The shinobi already have an ace against potential threats. Letting them keep Summons would've just made them overpowered (think about it, all it would take is one toad to leap up in the air and you've lost a good portion of your armor support when it lands, not to mention that said toad can also take out your air support just by looking up and using a jutsu). Also, by keeping the Summons to a minimum of four and they aren't with the shinobi, it helps keep the balance of power steady in the Systems Alliance. But don't worry, I have a plan for the Summons, so don't chew me out about it.

And if you think that it's stupid that the animal clan heirs would withdraw from helping the shinobi, think about it for a minute. For all intents and purposes, when their parents die, they're effectively teenagers. Do you really expect teenagers to be rational about something like that? Especially since they have someone to blame?

I'll see you all next chapter!


	4. Waking up in the wrong time

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Mass Effect.

Misplaced

Chapter 4: Waking up in the wrong time

"Talking"

"_Thinking"_

"**Biju/VI/Geth/Reaper talking"**

"_**Biju/VI/Geth/Reaper thinking"**_

Reading/ News/Intercom

(Location: Serrice Republic Hospital)

Hackett, Anderson, and Neji stood in front of a large window. In the other room, lying on a table was Naruto. He still wore the tracksuit they had found him in, his arms and legs several inches past the ends of the sleeves and pant legs. His forehead did not hold his headband and they couldn't find it anywhere on him, but it wasn't a pressing concern. "How has he been coming along?" Hackett asked a nearby doctor, one Eiji Kaba, who sat in front of a screen which was monitoring the unconscious blonde's heart rate and brain activity. It was also checking an assortment of things on him, but it was only the heart rate and brain activity showing on the screen.

"He's improving, sir." Eiji replied, quickly checking another window on the computer. "His muscles have completely recovered from the atrophy they were suffering from, but he won't be back to the speed he's used to until he gets some training done. Aside from the fact he hasn't had anything to eat or drink in a long time; all of his vitals have mostly recovered. The only thing we can do now is for him to wake up."

"Hard to believe we only brought him in two days ago when he's recovered this much," Anderson remarked. They had all but kicked the doors to the hospital down when they got there. The soldiers were yelling at everyone to get out of the way as they rushed the gurney carrying Naruto towards the elevator. If anyone had gotten in the way, they would've been run over.

The door behind them opened, making all in the room turn around and see who was coming in. It turned out to be an asari and a turian. The asari's skin was a deep blue and while she walked with grace only an asari could pull off, she wore a stern look on her face. The turian was encased in black armor that had red highlights. While his skin was also red, his facial markings were white and covered the majority of his face. "Gentlemen," The asari greeted them diplomatically.

"Matriarch Moria, thank you for allowing us to use your facilities," Hackett said to her. Matriarch Moria Axeya was one of the Matriarchs of the Serrice Republic and the head doctor at the hospital. However, she didn't think very highly of humans. One of her more famous quotes when it came to them was that they were "a bunch of ignorant and idiotic creatures who didn't know when to give something to the professionals so it could be properly studied." When the Alliance heard that, they simply replied with "We did hand it over to the professionals. None of them were on Thessia." Afterwards, both the Citadel Council and the other Matriarchs of Serrice told Moria (quite sternly) to keep her opinions to herself from that point on.

"How could I not, when your men threatened both concerned doctors and curious patients with death should they ever come near this part of the hospital?" She replied archly.

"I apologize for that, ma'am. The men are a little bit on edge." Anderson explained.

"I'd be too, if I was protecting a potential living legend." The turian remarked as he walked up to the window.

"There's nothing potential about Naruto Uzumaki, Nihlus." Hackett told him. "He _is_ a living legend."

"Hm, he doesn't look like much." He commented after examining the unconscious blonde. It wasn't a derogatory comment by any means, it was one given by a professional who assessing someone. And Nihlus Kryik, who was one of the most decorated Spectre agents, was very professional.

"Everyone who fought against him probably thought the same thing." Neji told him. "They were either defeated or became an ally soon afterwards. He just had that effect on people." He defended the blonde when he saw the look of disbelief on the Matriarch's face.

"I know, I read the available records on him." The turian replied. "If half of what he did is true, I can see why many human children want to become shinobi." He frowned as he looked through the glass. "I do have one question though. I thought he was in his late teens when he ended the war. Why does he look like he's twenty four or twenty five?"

"Mostly likely the aging process was slowed down." Eiji said from where he sat. "He was in coma while he was still in the meteor. All that chakra it was giving was most likely to ensure he didn't wake up prematurely, acting like a giant cryogenic pod. The difference was that he wasn't frozen; his heart and vitals were still going at the normal rate. As a result, his chakra had slowed down his growth to the point he only aged a year every three hundred and thirty eight years, if I did the math right."

"Even if you didn't, he's going to be in for a surprise when he wakes up and sees how much he's grown."

"I must admit, his recovery rate is astonishing." Moria remarked as she looked over the details of Naruto's recovery on a different computer. "Has the Alliance come up with a new drug or medicine that helps the muscles recover from atrophy this quickly?"

"Um…no ma'am," Eiji said after looking over at Hackett, who motioned him to talk. "We haven't created any drugs or medicine like that."

"Then is it a side-effect from one of the other medicines you've given him to help in his recovery?"

"Ma'am, we haven't given him any medicine at all."

She looked over at him stunned. "What? What do you mean you didn't give him any medicine to help his recovery?"

"When we got him onto the table and started up the computers to scan him, we saw that his chakra was already healing him. We didn't know how the chakra would react to medicine or treatment he didn't recognize, so we just let it run its course."

"So, he's been healing himself…and has been completely healed within two day?" She asked like she couldn't believe what she heard.

"I guess that part of the history books were true." Nihlus commented. The books had always talked about how Naruto could recover from practically any injury. "Have you told the rest of Humanity about this?" He asked Hackett, turning to face him.

He shook his head. "No, we're going to wait until he wakes up and gets all the rust he'll probably have off. The last thing we need is for this to become a media circus." They all wince at the thought. The paparazzi would be hounding them to get answers, not to mention the amount of people who would besiege the hospital just to get a look at him.

"Not to mention the Church of the Nine are going to have a conniption when they hear about him." Anderson muttered, earning looks of disgust and distaste from the other humans in the room.

Nihlus had heard about the Church of the Nine. Supposedly it was a human religious sect that declared that the Biju were divine beings and that their Jinchūriki were both their avatars and their messengers. To them, Naruto had been chosen by all of the Biju to be the avatar of their completed form (he still wasn't sure what that meant, even though the history books had said something about a Jūbi) and had left the Earth so that he could properly learn how to harness the incredible power given to him. When he returned, he was to be the sword and shield of humanity, protecting them from any threats. That was what they preached anyway. In reality, the idea was they would use him as an excuse and figure head to launch a holy war against the rest of the galaxy. It was well known that several members of the Church were also members of the political party Terra Firma. Personally, he hoped that this supposed legend wasn't that gullible or stupid. As he mused about that, he noticed something going on with the blonde. "What are his eyelids doing?" He asked, getting everyone's attention.

"That's REM sleep." Eiji announced as he looked up at the window. "He's been like that for the past couple of hours. It just means he's dreaming." He lowered his gaze back to the computer screen in front of him.

"So he's not unconscious anymore? He's just asleep?" He asked for clarification.

"Yeah, that's the gist of…" His voice trailed off when the computer in front of him started making a lot of noise. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, what's going on?" He asked himself.

"What's wrong, Dr. Kaba?" Hackett asked him.

"According to the computer, his brain activity is spiking and he's pumping out a lot of adrenaline into his body!"

"What does that mean, Doctor?" Anderson asked. "Is he having some kind of dream?"

"I'd say it's more along the lines of a memory."

* * *

He could feel the power course through his body. And he could feel it trying to tear him apart. He could feel it attacking every single cell in his body, trying to destroy them and take their place. He fought back as best as he could, trying to stay human. But he was running out of time. Unless he was properly dealt with, he would lose control.

"Naruto!" He heard someone shout his name. The sound of people landing on the ground around him filled his ears.

"Perfect timing, guys," He said with a grin, which soon disappeared when blood spilled out of his mouth. "I appreciate you guys staying out of the fight when you got here, I don't think I could've fought Obito and made sure you were all safe at the same time."

"Get off your high horse, dobe." The voice of his rival and best friend told him, wearing a smirk that looked to be forced. "We could've taken care of ourselves."

"Perhaps, but that doesn't matter now." He stifled a shout of pain as he felt the pure power he had torn out of Obito piece by piece try to engulf him. He had to stay in control; he had to force himself to stay in control of his own body. "Did you guys all find what I had left for you?"

"We did." Shino answered.

"Good, good." He growled as his arm grew bigger and blocker, turning white. The pain from that alone was enough to any man lose his mind and he had to deal with more than that. "Look, you guys know what to with it, so do it."

"Naruto, we don't need to do this!" Ino protested. "Lady Tsunade is only a few minutes away. If you can hold on, she can help you!"

"I think we can both agree that I don't have a few minutes, Ino." He said with a small laugh. The laugh turned into a hacking cough, leaving blood on the ground. "I don't think I even have _a_ minute."

"Do you have any idea what you're asking us to do, man?" Kiba asked, both aguish and anger evident in his voice.

"Course I know what I'm asking of you. I created the damn thing." He forced the pain down so he could focus on his friends standing around him. "Besides, it's not like I'll be gone forever."

"But we won't know if you'll come back when we're still alive." Hinata objected. She looked to be on the verge of crying but was holding it back as best she could.

"But you all will still see me every time you look up the sky."

"It's not the same thing, Naruto, and you know it." Shikamaru told him. He looked at the Nara and saw that he was still trying to figure out a way to stop this from happening, a plan that would save his friend.

"Don't try to think of a different way to fix this, Shikamaru." He replied quietly as he focused on his arm, forcing it back to normal. "There isn't one, this is the only way."

"We can't just do that to you, buddy." Chōji told him, tears flowing freely down his eyes. "We can't imprison you like that!"

"You have to! If you don't, then there's no guarantee I won't hold it back and not lose control!"

"Of course you can do it! You are Naruto Uzumaki; you will be able to hold it back alone with your Flames of Youth alone!" Lee told him.

"Lee, I don't think my Flames of Youth won't hold it alone." He said with a small smile. Even though he was trying to look cheerful, they could tell he was forcing it. He was fighting for all he was worth for control and he was losing the fight. "Hey, don't give me those looks." He admonished them. "With this, the war will be over." The war that had continued for two long years, the war that continued after Obito had surprisingly quit the field and spent the next two years torturing Naruto to show that all he believed in was worthless by either showing signs that he would target a random town and destroy it moments before the shinobi got there so they could see it burn or sending those who had flocked to his power to destroy just as they arrived, causing a battle to happen (where he would always observe from above where no one powerful enough could touch him, like a god observing mere mortals). The war where he had so effortlessly destroyed the revived Hokage and Madara Uchiha before stealing the Yin portion of Kurama from his father before he disintegrated and left, challenging any one to come after him. The war where Naruto felt responsible for every attack, every village that had been burned to the ground, and pour everything he had into stopping his sensei's former teammate. And now, he had.

"Naruto, you have to fight it. You can win, you know you can. You don't need us to do this to you." Tenten told him. She didn't want to lose him, none of them wanted to. They still believed that he could win, that he could beat the thing trying to take control of him. While he probably could, there was only one way he could do it safely.

"I told you guys, this is the only way!" He fell to his knees as horns began pushing out of his back, stretching against the fabric of his tracksuit. His cry of anguish and pain was cut off when he threw up blood. When the blood had finally stopped and after he had forced the protrusions back down into his body, he simply sat there on his knees, looking at the earth beneath him. "Well what are you waiting?" He asked in a whisper, before looking up and looking at the one person who hadn't spoken so far. "Do it." He told her.

She looked at her teammate. Even though he said the words like they were orders, she could tell that they weren't, they all could. He was begging them to do this to him, but he had spoken to her. She was the one to start it. But she just…couldn't. "Naruto…" She began to say.

He saw the hesitation in her eyes and grew angry at the sight. He didn't watch people he had thought of as friends and comrades die in front of his eyes, suffer uncountable nightmares in his sleep of those he had failed to save, save all those people from their ruined homes, pour every single Kami-forsaken thing he had into finding and creating a way to end the war, break his contract with the Toads and turning his back on them to keep them safe, didn't walk away from the village to confront Obito on his own, he didn't throw his life away just so one person could show hesitation when the most important thing needed to be done. With his anger fueling him, he stood back up and stared straight into Sakura's eyes. "DO IT!" He roared.

The hesitation vanished as she steeled herself. Flashing through handseals, ignoring the others who were doing the same thing, the rest of the Konoha Twelve slammed their fists into the ground. **"Fūinjutsu: ****Shingetsu no Keimusho **(Sealing Jutsu: Prison of the New Moon)**!"** They cried in unison. Seal marks began to spread from where their fists touched the ground, connecting and intersecting each other. As the ground beneath them began to crack and rumble, they ran fast to get out of the seal's range, landing in front of the Shinobi Alliance, with the Five Kage out in front. Before they could say anything, the earth before them tore itself out of the land, changing shape into a ball as it lifted itself up and up into the sky.

He sighed with relief as the earth all around him; he was safe from harming others. _"Alright then, time to get to work."_ He thought to himself as he closed his eyes.

* * *

He opened his eyes and was met with a pool of light trying to stab its way into his skull. With a cry of pain, he lifted his arm to cover his eyes. But he didn't know that he was in a twenty five year old body and because of that, he accidently rolled off the table and landed on the ground with a loud _THUD!_ He winced at the pain traveling through his body. _"Ow! That hurt!"_ He mentally yelled. _"And why is the room too bloody bright?! Did they forget to lower the setting again?"_

The sound of a door opening and somebody running in filled his ears. "Lord Naruto? Are you alright?" A familiar voice asked him from the other side of the table in flawless Japanese.

"Neji, is that you?" He asked, still covering his eyes. "You're supposed to be dead! Did the others somehow find to bring you back to life?" A feeling of dread filled him. "Or am I dead too? Am I dead, Neji?Are you here to greet me in the afterlife?"

Neji could only chuckle at those words. "There's no need to worry, Lord Naruto. You're not dead. But I am not the Neji Hyuuga you knew." He told the hidden figure as gently as he could.

"Are you sure? You really sound like him!"

"I'm fairly certain I'm not him."

"Okay then, not-Neji, can you do something about the lights? They're too damn bright! It's like someone lit a fire and is holding it right in front my eyes!" The blonde exclaimed.

He frowned and looked at the lights. "I'm sorry, but the lights only have one setting. They aren't that bright, though."

"Then I guess it's just my eyes then?" He asked rhetorically before realizing something. He quickly patted the pockets of the now too-small tracksuit before finding what he was looking for. "Could you do me a favor and see if you can fix these?" He placed a pair of broken sunglasses on the table.

"Uh…wouldn't you rather have a new pair of sunglasses, sir?" Neji asked as he looked at the glasses, which were oval in shape and had only the bridge as a frame. "These look…broken." The shades themselves were cracked and missing small pieces.

"…They belonged to Bee." Naruto said quietly after a moment's silence.

He stiffened slightly, recognizing the name. "As you wish, sir, I'll have these back to you soon." He turned around and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

"How is he?" Hackett asked the Hyuuga. Neither he nor Anderson knew Japanese (Eiji knew a couple of words, but not the whole language), and their translators didn't reach that far.

"He's just confused and annoyed at the lights." He replied. "He's also wants these repaired." He held the sunglasses for everyone to see. "He said they belonged to Bee."

"I'm sorry, but who is Bee?" Nihlus asked, curious at the name. When the humans in the room heard it, they had all stiffened slightly.

"Lord Killer Bee was the brother to the Yondaime Raikage and the last Jinchūriki of the Hachibi. According to the history books, it was his death and the theft of the Hachibi that led to the final confrontation between Naruto Uzumaki and Obito Uchiha." Hackett informed him.

"We can have these repaired within the hour." Anderson said, taking the glasses from Neji. "An hour and a half if we added something to it." He walked over to the door leading outside the room, opened it and had a brief conversation with one of the guards, handing him the glasses.

"What is he doing?" Moria asked as she watched the now conscious blonde stand up on shaky legs and walk slowly around the room with one hand on the wall. His eyes were still closes, but he was still taking deliberate steps.

"If I had to guess, I'd say he's measuring out the room." Nihlus answered her question. He could see that with his vision impaired by the light, Naruto had no idea what the room looked like, so he had to figure out the basic details in a completely different way. _"That's smart of him."_ He silently complimented the blonde shinobi.

(Location: Naruto)

He wasn't really sure how long it had been since the guy who sounded like Neji had come in. If he had to guess, he'd say an hour, maybe a bit more. He had spent that time trying to figure out the exact size of the room he was in. Judging by the way he measured, he knew that it was a room small enough to only have one patient, but also big enough to have doctors possibly work on him. He also knew that there was a big window on one side with a door next to it. Judging by the fact he heard voices on the other side of the window that fell silent when he was right up against it, he could tell that there were people watching him. He didn't know how many, but he knew they were there.

After he had gotten the basic layout of the room, he sat back on the table. He began to examine himself by patting himself down all over. _"If Granny or Sakura saw me do this, they'd kill me."_ He thought to himself before stopping and realizing something. There was a very good chance that Tsunade was dead and Sakura could possibly be dead as well, or on her way. _"Stop it, Naruto."_ He told himself. _"You have no idea if they're alive or not. Don't go making assumptions when you don't even know the year!"_ He continued with his examination. _"Well, nothing seems to be wrong with me, minus the fact that I've seem to have gotten bigger. These clothes fit me the last time I checked."_

He heard the sound of the door opening and someone walking in. "That you, not-Neji?" He asked without turning to face the guy (it would've been a little redundant since he couldn't see the guy).

"Yes it is, sir." Neji answered. "We've managed to fix the sunglasses." He placed the glasses in question on the table next to the blonde.

"That was fast, it only took an hour to get them fix?"

"An hour and a half, sir, you can thank technology for the speediness." He didn't say anything about the additional features the glasses now had. That could come later (provided he didn't figure it out first).

He slowly reached out and took hold of the glasses, placing them over his eyes. He turned and quickly looked at the room, filing away the details about the room that he had missed. He then looked over at Neji. "Kami, are you sure you're not the Neji I know? You even look like the guy!"

He could only smile. "I assure you, sir, I'm not him."

"Would you stop it with the 'sir' already? You're making me feel old."

"_Oh, the irony,"_ The humans listening in on the conversation thought to themselves. "Well, how are you feeling then, Lord Naruto?" Neji asked him.

"Don't call me a lord, I'm not that either!" He admonished. "Just call me Naruto, would ya?"

"Alright…Naruto, are you feeling alright?"

"I just feel a little stiff and sore." He admitted honestly. "I guess I was sealed for a long time then?"

"Yes, you were."

"Don't beat about the bush, how long was I gone?" He asked, sounding a little nervous.

Neji could understand that feeling. He would've felt the same way if he was in the same position. "You've been sealed for two thousand and twenty four years." He said gently.

Naruto was blown back by the number. He knew he would be sealed for a good amount of years. But what he had expected was fifty years to maybe a century, not over two bloody millennia! "You mean I've spent just over two thousand years orbiting the Earth!? That's impossible! I should've fallen from the sky a lot sooner than that!"

"You had made an error." Neji said quietly.

"What? What do you mean 'I had made an error'?" He demanded as the nervousness in his voice now had a bit of horror and panic mixed in.

"After you were sealed, the rest of the Konoha Twelve had looked over the blueprints of the seal and it turns out that you had made a slight mistake when you drew it. But it was enough of a mistake to send you flying out into space rather than orbiting the Earth."

"I'm…I'm not even on Earth?" He asked, sounding like he was a little child who couldn't believe what was being shown to him.

"No, you're on a planet called Thessia, home of a race called the Asari. In the past three decades, the human race has managed to reach up out into space, colonizing other planets. Since 2157 CE, we have been in contact with aliens and—"

"Hold it, hold it, hold it!" He shouted, waving his hands to stop the Hyuuga. "Too much information is being shoved into my brain at this point. I'm still trying to get over the fact that I'm not on Earth and I've sealed inside that rock for at least two thousand years!" He would've continued, if a large growl hadn't emanated from his stomach, cutting off his tirade and making him look embarrassed.

"Uh…are you hungry?" Neji asked him, feeling a little awkward.

"I…guess. Maybe I'm a little hungry." He replied, sheepishly scratching the back of his head.

"Come on, I'll take you to the cafeteria. We can get you some food there."

"Alright, lead the way." They walked out of the room, the Hyuuga in the lead and the blonde behind him.

(Location: Serrice Hospital cafeteria)

They could only watch in stunned surprise. "If this is his idea of a 'little hungry', I don't want to see how much would qualify for 'really hungry'." Nihlus commented in stunned amazement.

"I think he just underestimated himself. Being sealed for over two thousand years could do that." Neji offered.

"Even so, he's on the verge of putting the Akimichi clan to shame and that's saying something." Anderson replied. The subject of their discussion sat at the end of a nearby table. Naruto was eating everything and anything that was placed in front of him (thankfully the cooks didn't give him any dextro-based food). The food was disappearing down his throat so fast that they were half afraid that he would eat through the table if something wasn't in front of them.

Naruto looked up from what he was eating and said something to Neji, speaking in rapid Japanese. Neji looked amused for a quick second and replied back, making the blonde nod in understanding and turning his attention back to his food. "What did he say?" Hackett asked Neji, their translator couldn't translate the rapid Japanese.

"He wanted to know who Nihlus was." He answered shortly.

"Was that how he put it?"

"No." He answered after thinking it over.

"What did he really say?" Nihlus asked. His translator couldn't translate the Japanese either.

"He said 'Hey second-Neji, who's the bird guy with the face paint?'"

They just stared at him before switching their gaze to the blonde. "We need to get him a translator, stat." Anderson declared. "Who the hell knows what would happen if he accidently insulted someone?"

"Probably a fight that'll end in a couple of seconds with him winning," Hackett answered with a straight face.

"What if he insults a krogan?" Nihlus asked. Truth be told, he was actually interested to see that kind of fight.

"I'd guess it depends on the krogan." Neji commented. Naruto would probably be able to beat a krogan who had a short temper. But it was up in the air if he went up against a calm one or worse, a warlord.

"In any event, we need to get him a translator." Anderson repeated his previous statement.

"I've already told him about it and how it can be applied. When he heard about how it could be applied to jewelry, he gave me this." He pulled out a necklace that had a small green crystal on the end of it. While Nihlus had no idea what it was, both Hackett and Anderson did. It was the necklace of the Shodaime Hokage, who gave it to his granddaughter Tsunade who then gave it to Naruto. According to the history books, Naruto had searched every inch of where he fought Pain looking for every single fragment of the crystal. When he found them all, he went to Mt. Myōboku and asked the Toad smiths to repair it, which they did much to his relief. "He told me that we could install a translator in it. But he also warned me that if we break it while trying to install the translator, he will kill us slowly and horribly."

"That's understandable." Hackett said as he took the necklace from his hands. "I'll have a technician install the latest translating software into it and caution them to be _very_ careful with it." He turned around and walked out of the cafeteria, secretly glad he could stop watching Naruto fill a hunger that was over two thousand years in the making.

"Well, that takes care of the translation problem." Nihlus remarked.

"That may be, but he also asked for a Japanese-to-English translation book so he could study it." Neji told him. He had told the blonde about the different language he was speaking when he briefly spoken with Hackett and Anderson when they first passed them. After he heard that there was a new language that practically every human knew, he had asked for the translation book with a grimace ("I may have to learn a new language, but that doesn't mean I'm going to enjoy the process" He had told Neji).

"I can see why he would want such a book." Anderson commented. "He doesn't want to rely too heavily on the translator. Did you tell him about the omni-tool?"

He shook his head. "No, I figure we'd wait until he was back at full strength before talking to him about modern weapons and equipment. As he said so succinctly before 'too much information is being shoved into my brain at this point.'" The other two chuckled at that.

"Hey, not-Neji, where's the bathroom?" Naruto asked from where he sat the food in front of him all finished.

"It's just down the hall and on the first left." He answered promptly. "Why do you want to know?"

"I just realized that I haven't answered nature's call for over two thousand years and all the food I just ate probably won't help." He stood and quickly bolted for the door. "See you in an hour, probably!" He shouted as the door closed behind him.

They could only stare at the door as they heard the sounds of his footsteps echoing in the hall. "What was that all about?" Nihlus asked, mystified at what he had just seen and still vaguely annoyed that his translator couldn't translate the Japanese the blonde was spewing fast enough.

"He had to go to the bathroom." Neji answered shortly. "Apparently, he had just remembered that he had a bladder which was _very_ full. We'll see him in an hour, probably."

(Location: Naruto)

By the time he got out of the bathroom, night had fallen on the new planet he was on. He had been given a new room that had a bed along with a table and a chair. He had a nice view of the city (which looked strange to him) and the bed was actually quite comfy. But the windows themselves were locked and there were two armed guards outside his down (he didn't know what the fuss was all about. It wasn't like he was going to try and escape. Where would he go in the first place?).

Sighing, he sat down at the table. He still had trouble believing everything he had heard. He was on a different planet, in a completely different part of the galaxy, and it had been two thousand and twenty four years since he had been sealed. A part of him still hoped that this was all part of an incredibly bad dream, forcing him to dream it because he had been stuck inside the meteor for so long. It was that part of him that hoped he would wake up and see all of his friends around his bed, welcoming him back.

But he knew that this was no dream, hallucination, or even a Genjutsu. This was reality and he was stuck with it. He knew that the men in blue military uniforms as well as the strange bird-looking alien (which he had been told was something called a turian, whatever that was) wanted something from him. Why else would they release the seal and free him? It sure wasn't for publicity's sake that was for sure. But he knew that if he wanted to know the answer, he would have to stick around.

But it would probably difficult for him. It was already for him. Every time he looked at not-Neji, he saw the one he knew. He kept being reminded of the times the two had been through, both good and bad. But most of all, he was reminded of how he had died in his arms, during the war. Despite his claims to his friends that he was okay, the memory of Neji's death was one of the many things that haunted his dreams. Every time he saw it, he tried to stop it, to change it somehow. But in the end, it didn't matter. A friend was dead and Obito was watching from on high.

"_Knock it off, Naruto."_ He berated himself. _"You defeated Obito and won the war. There's no point in mourning Neji's death anymore. The rest of them are dead as well. You'll just have to move on."_ He said this to himself, but a thought kept looming around in his mind. If he had met a person who looked like the Neji he knew, what if there were others just like him? People who had faces so familiar to him, but didn't know who he was, it was a frightening thought and a horrible one as well.

He shook his head vigorously, shaking himself free of that train of thought. _"I need something to distract me."_ He thought to himself. Looking over at the other side of the table, he saw the book that not-Neji had given him. It was the translation book that he had asked for. He wouldn't his necklace back until the next morning (apparently it takes longer to install a translator in a piece of jewelry then to repair a pair of sunglasses), so it was probably a good idea to make use of the book in front of him. He took it in his hands, placed it in front of him on the table, and opened to the first page.

* * *

Codex Entry (Humanity and the Systems Alliance): THE FRONTER

_The Frontier is the continent east of the Elemental Countries and south of Midgard. It is called the Frontier because it was generally believed that if you tried to go any further east, you would reach the edge of the world (which had been proven false once the human race discovered that the Earth was round. Another myth said it was called the Frontier was because a monk who had walked the Earth, preaching an end to the endless conflict the world was engulfed in, had journeyed to the edge of the Frontier. When he returned, he had told others who had followed him that was as far as his message could go, that there was nothing beyond the edge of that land (shinobi historians believed this monk to be the __**Rikudō Sennin**__ (Sage of the Six Paths) and have pointed out similar facts between the monk in the story and the monk of legend)._

_Despite the rather foreboding name, the Frontier is actually quite varied. There were multiple forests up and down the western side of the continent (many of which had cut down during beginning of the Empire of Steel). The further east one went, the more they saw grassland instead of forest. The grassland will eventually become more and more arid before eventually becoming desert, which is known as the Damned Land._

_The Frontier was home to the Empire of Steel, an empire that stretched from the western coast to the edges of the Damned Land. The Empire was so named because it turned to science and technology, believing that iron would evolve as time went on and lead them to victory (that belief was cemented when they found how to create steel, thus giving the name of the Empire)._

_Once they had discovered that steam could be used as a source of power, a great many of things were invented that could use steam as fuel. This technological breakthrough (at the time) helped the Empire expand immensely, using the weapons that had been created from the foremost scientists and engineers. These weapons helped keep the Empire stable for a long time._

_The Empire had some trade dealings with Midgard, though there were some tensions between the two nations. When the Elemental Countries encountered them, the tensions rose before finally reaching the breaking point (See: War of Three Flags). After a peace agreement had been reached, the citizens of the Empire were allowed to learn how to harness the chakra inside of them and become shinobi. However, due to the fact that the chakra inside in the average Frontiersman was only mid-Genin level, most did not join and instead became scientists and engineers, showing their technology to their new allies, who were also able to improve on them. This has continued to the modern day, most of those who are from the Frontier and in the military are usually in the Navy, serving as pilots, navigators, or engineers._

* * *

**End**

**Author's note:** Thank you for all the reviews you've sent me.

For those of you think that Naruto's recovery is almost (if not outright) ridiculous, please remember that this is Naruto Uzumaki we're talking about here! This is the guy who managed to sleep off chakra exhaustion in one night and also take a **Chidori **to the chest and still be able to fight!

I based the Church of the Nine off the Bear-Cult from David Edding's _The Belgariad _and _The Malloreon_. If you want to know what they were like, go and read the books. But what I plan to do is make the relationship between Naruto and the Church of the Nine quite similar to what is in the books.

I made the Fourth Shinobi World War go on for two years for good reason. The way the manga is going, what I had Naruto do would've become less and less likely. Hell, it'll probably end with the next couple of days. So I had Obito quit the field so he could try and torture Naruto for two years.

Yes, the words Naruto spoke to Sakura are taken from Watchmen. I don't know about the rest of you, but I think that Rorschach's death was probably one of the most tragically epic things I've ever seen. He didn't die begging for his life. He knew that the others would try and stop him, so he accepted his fate and basically ordered Dr. Manhattan to kill him. If that's not going out like a boss, I don't know what is.

I know that Naruto crushed the necklace into pieces when he was fighting Pain. But I honestly couldn't think of another way to get him that translator. He doesn't have any other kind of jewelry, he'd be confused by the computers, and I don't think he would agree with the implants. So, I came up with that story. And you can't tell such a thing is impossible, that's why I said he took it to the Toads smiths instead of human smiths.

I'll see you all next chapter!


	5. Nothing's really changed, has it?

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Mass Effect.

Misplaced

Chapter 5: Nothing's really changed, has it?

"Talking"

"_Thinking"_

"**Biju/VI/Geth/Reaper talking"**

"_**Biju/VI/Geth/Reaper thinking"**_

Reading/ News/Intercom

(Location: Serrice Republic Hospital)

Neji walked to the room they had put Naruto in. It had felt like a long night, with Hanabi being all excited to move to Konoha and him worrying about the necklace of the Shodaime Hokage being broken when they tried to insert the translator (he made it a point to take death threats from legends _very_ seriously). Thankfully, the worry had been for naught. The translator had been successfully installed in the necklace.

"Morning guys," He greeted the guards standing in front of Naruto's door. "How's it been?"

"The only thing we really heard was a lot of mumbling and the occasional curse. Other than that, it's been pretty quiet." The guard on the left answered his question.

"Has anyone tried to visit him?" They knew that despite their best attempts at keeping it quiet, someone always finds out.

"Only a couple of doctors who were curious about why we were guarding a room," The guard on the right answered. "We told them we were guarding a VIP who wanted to remain anonymous. They didn't push after that."

"Alright, thanks for letting me know." He walked past the guards and into the room. He found Naruto fast asleep with his head on top of the translation book. He hoped he didn't drool on the book; it wasn't his to begin with. "Naruto, you have to wake up." He shook the blonde slightly.

Naruto came awake in an instant. As he slowly raised his head, getting the grogginess out, he noticed Neji standing over him. "Goo…good mor…morni…morning," He said, trying to use some of the English he had learned during the night. He had learned a couple of words, but that was all so far.

"Spent the night trying to learn English?" Neji asked the mandatory rhetorical question. His accent was thick and he struggled to say the words. Naruto was about to say yes but decided against it and just nodded his head. "This should help you out immensely." Neji handed him the Shodaime's necklace.

He took and placed it around his necklace. As he did, he heard a faint peeping in his ears. "Where is that noise coming from?" He asked with a little annoyance.

"It's just the translator getting started; it's nothing to worry about." The Hyuuga assured him.

"Are you sure?"

"How was the bed?" He asked with a smile, switching to English.

The blonde looked at him with an odd look. "What are you talking about? I fell asleep at the table. You saw that." He answered; unaware that Neji had switched languages.

"Yes, I did. But I was making sure the translator was working."

"It is?" He asked, surprised. The peeping had disappeared, but he hadn't really noticed. It had sounded like Neji had been speaking Japanese the entire time. "Kami, that's impressive."

"That it is. But you should probably still study the dictionary, just in case you ever lose the necklace."

"Yeah, you've got a point." He could already tell it was going to be hard and painful. But he still had to do it. "Anyway, time for the food!" He declared, walking towards the door.

"After you, Naruto," Neji said as he followed the blonde. _"I hope he isn't as hungry as he was yesterday."_ He mentally prayed. They walked through the door and out into the hallway, the two guards falling in behind them.

As they walked down the hall, three members of the group could only chuckle silently as the fourth kept looking around in amazement. Naruto was still surprised by all the things he saw. He kept looking at different things. When he passed a salarian or a turian, he had a look of wonder on his face (although when he passed a volus, he also had a look of stunned confusion). Whenever he passed by an asari, he felt awkward and embarrassed by the grace they held themselves with (unknown to him, he was making a few of them turn their heads to look at him as he walked by).

As they walked into the cafeteria (the guards taking position outside the entrance), they saw Hanabi sitting with her grandfather. "Daddy, over here!" She called over when she saw the two of them.

Neji smiled as he saw his daughter. "Give us a moment, Hanabi." He told her. "We need to get breakfast, and then we'll sit with you." He and Naruto walked over to the food area and started creating their breakfast.

"That's your daughter?" Naruto asked as they put food on their plates. "Is she adopted or something?"

"No, she's not adopted. She is fully my daughter."

He threw a quick look back at the child. "But she's an asari, isn't she?"

"Ah, that's right. I forgot you don't know much about the asari."

He shrugged his shoulders. "I know they're very attractive and have a grace that makes me feel like a clumsy idiot, although, that last part might be because of girls in general."

"Oh, don't worry. They make us all feel like that. But back to the point, when an asari is born, they are hundred percent asari. They don't receive anything from the father."

"Really? Nothing?"

"That's what they say. Of course, that's in debate right now."

"What happened?" He asked as they made their way back to the table.

"You showed up." He answered quietly, so only the blonde could hear him as they sat down at the table. "In any case, I would like you to meet my daughter, Hanabi, and my grandfather, Hizashi." He introduced the two at the table.

"…Not to be rude, but the Hyuuga can be a little more original when it comes to names, right?" Naruto asked, looking at him. It had been over two thousand years since he had been sealed and he was still hearing the same names. It was almost freaky.

Before Neji could speak, Hanabi did. "I know who you are! You're Naruto Uzumaki!" She blurted out. When she did, both her father and grandfather were glad that they were the only ones in the cafeteria at that point. An outburst like was just begging for the media to show up if someone else heard it.

Before either one of them could reprimand her, Naruto smiled. "And how do you know that, little one?" He asked her with a smile, like it was amusing to hear her say that.

She was so excited; she ignored the comment about her being little. "I read about you the entire time. You're in my favorite books!" She pulled out a book and showed it to him.

He took it from her hands and read the title. "The tales of the Konoha Twelve, Vol. two," He said aloud. He looked over at Neji and Hizashi. "They put the stuff we did in print?" He was stunned. Some of the stuff they had done wasn't pretty.

"They edited some of the material so it wasn't so graphic." Hizashi assured him. "The series is actually a best seller."

"Wow, really? I guess I should be flattered." He looked over at Hanabi. "Which one is your favorite story?" He asked her.

"I can't decide. They're all so good!" She replied with annoyance.

"Well then let's start simple. Do you like any of the stories with me in it?" It was probably vain to ask such a thing, but he was curious about it.

"I like the one where you fought against Pain in the center of Konoha. That must have been terrifying even though you kept fighting."

"…Um…I was more angry then scared, if I have to be honest." He admitted. Until he had talked to Nagato, he was full of anger at him for the loss of his sensei. "Is the story of Team 7's first mission in there?" He asked, changing the subject before things felt awkward.

"No, that's in the first book. But that's a good one! I can't wait to start training to be a shinobi, that way I can be just you, Mr. Naruto!" She declared, making her father and grandfather look slightly uncomfortable.

"That's good to here." He then noticed the uncomfortable looks on Neji and Hizashi. "What? Did I say something wrong?"

"It's not that you said anything wrong, Lord Naruto." Hizashi told him. "It's just that Hanabi's situation about becoming a shinobi is a bit…unique."

"What do you mean by that? And don't call me lord."

"Remember when I said the fact that asari children didn't get anything from the father was in debate?" Neji asked him. He nodded and the Hyuuga continued. "Usually, an asari has something called Element Zero or eezo naturally in them when they're born. A few days ago, Hanabi lost all of her eezo. It was replaced with chakra, which only humans have had for the two thousand years."

He connected the dots when he heard those words and realized what that meant. "I caused that, didn't I?" He asked quietly. He wasn't sure how he did, but he had a gut feeling that was his fault.

"Daddy, don't make it sound like he did something bad!" Hanabi admonished her father. "Besides, I'm going to be the first asari shinobi because of it, so it's all thanks to him."

"You will not have as much chakra as the other students, Hanabi. Remember that." Hizashi told her.

"So? If I can't use my chakra as much as they can, then I'll be just like Rock Lee!" She declared.

Naruto, who was in the midst of taking a drink, decided to offer a sacrifice to the spit-take gods (thankfully he aimed towards the side and didn't hit anyone). As he coughed out the rest of the water, the others just stared at him. "Sorry, but that was the first time I've ever someone say that they wanted to be like Rock Lee." He was still having trouble comprehending it.

"What's wrong with Rock Lee? I've read about him. He was an amazing shinobi who could only barely use his chakra, so he focused completely on learning Taijutsu."

"I know about Rock Lee, I fought with him. Reading about Lee and personally knowing Lee are two completely different things, Hanabi." He told her in a matter-of-fact tone. "It's one thing to read about how he acted and it's another to see it in person." The number of times he had seen Lee go off was enough for him to lose count. "I could probably imitate Bushy Brows when he started going on one of his rants."

"Bushy Brows?" asked Hizashi.

"My own nickname for him," He answered shortly.

"Can you show us what Rock Lee was like?" Hanabi asked. She had already met a living legend and now there was an opportunity to get a glimpse at what another legend was like. She wasn't about to let this opportunity pass.

Naruto, on the other hand, wasn't so sure about that. "That's probably not a good idea."

"Oh come on, please!" She pleaded, hope shining in her eyes.

He knew it was going to be a losing battle if he kept refusing. If he did, he was fairly certain that she would pull out the weapon that is in every women's' arsenal, the weapon that is to be feared and respected by men everywhere. "Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you." He swallowed the food in his mouth, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I can see that you are all in the springtime of your YOUTH!" He shouted, opening his eyes. "To honor your Youthfulness, I will run four hundred laps around the city in five minutes! If I cannot do that, I will do five thousand push-ups with my hands tied together! And if I cannot do that, I will do sixty thousand laps around the planet on my hands while blindfolded! And if I cannot do that, I will—"

"Okay, we get the point! Please stop that now!" Neji begged him while he was in mid-tirade. He was half afraid that the blonde would actually do those things if they let him continue.

"Just be glad I don't know how he managed to create that Kami-forsaken sunset." He said with a foxlike grin. He remembered when Lee had managed to make a group of hardened bandits surrender just by describing how Youthful it was to have captured them and caused the sunset to happen.

"Was Rock Lee really like that?" Hanabi asked, stunned beyond belief. While she had read about how Lee was like, Naruto was right; it was completely different in real life.

"No, he was worse. He once tried to run five laps around the entire Land of Fire within one day. He managed to do it, but he ended up being unconscious for the next week and a half."

"Wow." She was awe-struck by what she heard. On the one hand, if she could go back in time, she would do so in order to watch what Naruto had just described. On the other hand, she also kinda didn't want to because she would be freaked out and disturbed by what she saw.

"Um…by the way, am I going to have to stay in the hospital today?" The blonde asked Neji, even though he had only be awake for a day, but it already felt like he was about to go stir-crazy. Also add to the fact that the only thing he had seen for the first time in over two thousand years was the inside of this hospital.

Truth be told, Neji had been expecting this question, but he had been expecting it a day later. "Well, if you're up for it, it would probably be best if we took you clothes shopping." He looked pointedly at the too-small tracksuit Naruto still wore.

"Agreed, I don't think that I can wear these much longer. I think they're beginning to chafe."

"Then we'll go after we're done here with breakfast." The food on their plates was just about done anyways.

* * *

Naruto was trying his hardest not to gawk at the buildings surrounding him as he, Neji, and Hanabi walked down the street. _"Kami, this is what an outsider must've felt like when they came into Konoha."_ He thought to himself. _"Although, Konoha feels like a small town compared to this place."_ The streets went everywhere and were filled with all sorts of different aliens, some he knew, the others not so much (when he saw a hanar, he had asked Neji what the hell a jellyfish was doing on land). For him, the best course of action was to keep his eyes straight and not give anyone weird looks (even though people were giving him odds ones because of his tracksuit). "How far away is this store of yours, Neji?" He asked the Hyuuga, deciding not to call him not-Neji anymore.

"It should be nearby. Don't worry; this shop has been able to help shinobi find the right clothes for the job ever since we started coming here." He assured the blonde.

"I hope so, I think my rear is about to show itself to the public." The pants were beginning to feel tight across his ass and he was half-afraid of a tear (that was something he needed right now, a pair of too small pants ripping open in the middle of the street). They kept walking and they kept passing other people. Most were still giving him odd looks, but some of the asari and humans (both male and female, which was something that made him a little nervous) were trying to undress him with their eyes. _"All they'd have to do is wait for one rip to happen and they'll see everything!"_ He mentally complained. He would've felt flattered if he wasn't so worried about not making a scene. Streaking naked through crowds was not something he really wanted to do.

"And here we are." Neji declared as they stood outside a store. The sign was in an alien language, so Naruto couldn't read it (_"Great, more languages I'll have to learn."_ He silently groaned). The door was open and people would walk either in or out, so he could tell that it was a popular place.

They walked in and were soon greeted by an asari. "Welcome to Fashion Galaxy!" She greeted them with a smile that made Naruto blush a little. "How may we help you?"

"Hello, Alenia." Neji greeted her, reading the name tag. "My friend here needs a new set of clothes." He gestured over at Naruto, who was the center of attention due the small tracksuit he was wearing.

"Oh my," She said as she looked him over (in a professional way, for which he was glad). "What in Athame's name happened?"

"Laundry accident, the rest of my clothes was set on fire and this one shrunk on me within five minutes of putting it on." He lied with a completely straight face. It also helped that his eyes were covered by the shades. The looks on the surrounding faces had all the same expression. His story sounded too ridiculous to be a fake one.

"Then you've come to the right place. Please follow me." She turned and walked deeper into the store. Naruto turned to look briefly at Neji, who motioned him to follow her, and went after her. They walked deeper into the store, passing multiple racks of clothes. "Do you have a preferred brand of clothing, sir?" She asked as they walked.

"Uh…not really, no," He answered. He was guessing that the brands he knew were nonexistent in this day and age.

"I see." He could hear the disdain creeping into her voice. He was guessing that she was a something of a fashion freak and was a little annoyed that he wasn't really helping her out. "Well, the changing rooms are over there." She gestured to where the changing rooms were. "Inside each room is a VI who can help you with picking out the clothes you desire."

"Thanks, Alenia." He told her with a smile that made her blush a little before walking into one of the changing rooms, closing the door behind him. Because of store policy, she had to wait until he was done, in case he needed an opinion or a suggestion.

As she waited, Neji and Hanabi (who had done a little shopping themselves) walked up. "I take it he's in there?" Neji asked her. The sound of Naruto trying to get out of his clothes and sandals was answer enough.

The sounds kept going for another good two minutes, getting more frustrated as time went on. "Oh this isn't going anywhere." They heard Naruto all but growl inside the room. "Hey Neji, are you out there?" He shouted through the door.

"I'm right here." He answered.

"Good. Do me a favor and hold onto these." A hand appeared at the empty space at the bottom. On it was a pouch, a white swirl with a red tassel inserted on one side, a holster that felt like it still had stuff inside it, and the bandages that held the holster. Neji took the items and the hand swiftly disappeared. They soon heard the sound of a kunai tearing through clothes.

"Is he…is he cutting himself out of the clothes?" Alenia asked, stunned. She had seen that the clothes were small on him, but she had thought he would've been able to get out of them without destroying them.

"It sure does sound like it." Hanabi chirped cheerfully. "Hey Daddy, when we're done here, can we go over to that electronic store? I want to see if that new album from Biju came out yet." She asked her father.

"We might, Hanabi." He told her. "It kinda depends on our friend in the changing room." They looked over at the door, where they could hear the muffled sounds of someone tapping a keyboard or screen.

"Kami take it, I said _functional_, not _fashionable_ you stupid machine!" Naruto suddenly shouted, making everyone who was in hearing distance almost jump away in surprise. "There's a difference!"

"Um…sorry about that," Neji said with a strained smile. "He gets a little excited sometimes." While the others just scowled in their direction, Alenia just gave them a strained smile as well.

After that little outburst, they spent the next half hour in silence. There were no more outbursts from the changing room, just the muffled taping. The other people in the shop didn't pay any more attention to them, they went about their business, picking out articles of clothing, looking at them, and possibly buying them. "Okay, I'm coming out." Naruto announced, getting the attention of Neji, Hanabi, and Alenia. He opened the changing room door and stepped out.

Alenia's breath hitched as she stared at the blonde standing in front of her. _"Goddess, he's handsome!"_ She thought to herself. The tracksuit and the sandals that made him look odd and slightly comedic were gone (they could see the remains of those on the ground behind him). Naruto now wore a black turtleneck shirt over his torso. On his right sleeve, going from his shoulder to the end of the sleeve, was a thick orange colored stripe. Instead of sandals, he wore steel toed combat boots. He also wore black cargo pants, which had a black belt encircling the waist. From the knee down, the pants had a design of a fire encircling the entire bottom half of the pants leg. Both the color of the fire and the stripe on his shirt were the same color, that of an orange that you could only find if you looked at a fire. He wore fingerless gloves on his hands that had metal plates sewn into it. All-in-all, he cut an impressive figure.

"Well? How do I look?" He asked, spreading his arms slightly. The shirt was slightly skintight, so his muscles could be seen somewhat. It was also tucked into the pants, making it appear as almost seamless (if one looked, they could see where the shirt ended and the pants began).

"You look really cool!" Hanabi declared with a big grin. "But it's missing something, I'm not sure what." She looked him up and down, trying to figure out what he was missing.

"I think I know what it is." He replied as he took the items he had given to Neji back. With practiced ease, he rewrapped the bandages around his leg and reattached the holster over them. He put the pouch where it belonged, on the back of his pants. He held the swirl in his hands for brief moment, looking at it and considering it, before gently putting it in one of the cargo pockets. He turned back to the changing room, where the remains of his former clothes lay as well as the kunai he had used to cut himself free. He grabbed the kunai and one of the sleeves. With a few quick cuts, he had separated a long strip from the rest of it and tied it around his forehead, creating a bandanna. "Better?" He asked Hanabi, putting the kunai away.

She gave him two thumbs up. "Much better," She declared.

"Well, that's good to know." It actually felt a little better to have that feeling back on his head, minus the weight of the metal plate. During his fight against Obito, his headband had somehow been knocked off his head (he still wasn't sure how that happened) and landed on the ground. He didn't have the time to look for it and he had to reluctantly admit there was a good chance of it being lost or destroyed. But that wasn't something he could lament about. As he came out of his musings, he noticed that Alenia was staring at him with a look of wonder and a little lust. "Is something the matter?" He asked her.

"No! Nothing's the matter, nothing!" She hastily assured him. He wasn't quite sure about that. He had seen that kind of look before. While it had originally started after he had defeated Pain, it really became common during the war. Girls would keep looking at me like that, but he had never really taken notice of it (mostly because there was always something to do and he didn't really have time to stop and wonder what was up with them).

"Okay, if you say so." He turned to look at Neji. "Are you going to pay for this?"

He shook his head. "No, the Alliance will foot the bill. But what do you want to do with the remains of your old clothes?"

"We'll take care of them." Alenia assured them. "Fashion Galaxy has a policy of recycling old clothes to make new ones, so there's no need to worry."

"…Thank you." Naruto said, tearing his gaze away from the remains. While he was glad to be out of them, those clothes reminded him of days with his friends. And he didn't want to remember those days right now, it was still painful. "Well, I'm good here." He told Neji.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, if I need any more clothes, I'll just get them later." He looked over at Alenia. "Thanks for helping me out, Alenia." He said gratefully. She blushed, and avoided eye contact, mumbling about how it wasn't a problem. They left the store, with many people watching the blonde as they went.

"I hope you don't mind, but Hanabi wants to check something out." Neji asked as they walked back out onto the street. "It's the store just down there." He pointed down the street.

"It's not a problem." He assured him. They walked down the street and into the electronic store. Hanabi all but lit up when they walked into the store. She quickly went deeper into the store, despite the protest from her father. "You go after her; I'll just stay near the front." Naruto told him. He nodded with gratitude and went after her. The blonde looked around the store and saw something that caught his eye. He walked over to what looked like the video section (although it didn't look like any videotapes were there). He reached out and picked up a case. On the front of the case were two actors who suspiciously looked like Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha standing together over the beginning of Konoha.

"I see you've found the sixteenth season of Shinobi: Chakra, Steel, and Blood." A volus said to him as he walked up to him, his breath hissing between words. "That is one of the more famous seasons, as it has to deal with the final days of the Clan Wars and the creation of Konohagakure. Are you interested in buying it?"

"Oh, uh…no, I was just looking." He answered, still surprised that his village's past had become something to watch and from the sound of it, that was only one season. "Can you tell me more about this series?" He asked the volus.

"I would've thought you'd know more about then me, sir. After all, it's a part of your history."

"I've been a little out of touch and I've never really paid attention to other thought was good on TV." He lied. It was true, at first he never had enough money to buy a TV and by the time he could, there were more important things to worry about.

"Well, the series has been well-received and has also won numerous awards. When it first began, the series creators wanted to stay true to the history of the shinobi as closely as possible, a procedure that has followed into the current season."

"Where in the history of shinobi did this series begin?" He asked, now genuinely curious.

"If I remember correctly, the first season began with the grandfathers of the founders of Konohagakure."

"It took them fifteen years to get from the grandfathers to the actual founders themselves?"

"What I mean to say is that was the time period in which they began. The series doesn't just focus on one group; it focuses on all of the groups, going from father to son. That's a part of what makes it so good. It shows the different view the characters had on situation as well as the troubles that haunted them. Multiple stories are being told at the same time and they're intertwined. You'd think that would've ended when it got to the creation of the Hidden Villages, but it did the opposite. More of them were created."

"Can you tell me what season they're on now?" If it had gotten to when he was alive, he would be nervous.

"If I remember correctly, the twenty seventh season is currently in production. It should pick up at the ending of the Third Shinobi World War."

"_Thank Kami, I have time."_ He thought to himself. "Do they actually use chakra and jutsu in this series?"

"When they can, if there is a jutsu that be used and the actor cannot do it, special effects take care of the problem."

"Wait, the actors can use chakra?" He was honestly surprised by that. When he was younger, only shinobi and samurai utilized chakra.

'That's one of the interesting things of the series. They use actual shinobi station on or around Earth to fill in the roles and clan members to be their ancestors, ingenious on their part."

"You sound like a fan." He noted absently.

"Many non-humans are fans of this series. It was already in its third season when Humanity joined the galactic community. It allowed many of us to see where a part of your race came from and what their ancestors did."

"And I'm guessing it was the only way your scientists to study chakra?" Neji had brief him about that part of galactic politics as they made their way into the city.

"I don't know about that, but I do know that some scientists are fans of the show. So, will you be buying it?"

"…No, I won't." He put the case back. "I think I'd best start with the first season and I don't see it here."

"Yes, unfortunately, we have run out of stock for that season. I apologize for the trouble."

"There's no trouble. Thank you for helping me out."

"It was my pleasure, sir." The volus turned around and walked away.

As he made his way back over to the entrance, Naruto saw Neji and Hanabi coming back towards him. 'Hey, did you find what you were looking for?" He asked.

"Unfortunately, no we didn't. The album Hanabi was looking for hasn't been released yet." Neji answered.

"Oh, sorry, Hanabi," He told her with an apologetic smile.

"It's okay. With any luck, it'll come out before I leave for Earth." She said with a smile.

"What was the album you wanted?" He asked as they walked back onto the street. He was kinda curious about what kind of music was played in this era.

"It's the newest album of my most absolute favorite band, Biju!" She declared happily.

If he hadn't stopped walking when he heard that, he would've walked into a wall. "There's a band called Biju?" He asked in stunned wonder.

"Yeah, they're the hottest band out there! And the cool thing is that they're a mixture of races. They've got asari, turians, salarians, humans and even a krogan!" He didn't say anything; he was still too stunned to say a word. "Um…Daddy, I think I broke him." Hanabi told her father.

"…Two thousand and twenty four years ago, they were spoken in fear and whispers. Now, they're a music group." Naruto said, mostly to himself. "I honestly don't know if I should laugh at that or not."

"Hey, don't laugh! They're a great group!" She told him vehemently, shaking her fist at him. She wouldn't punch him; she just wanted to emphasis her point.

"Sorry, sorry, I'll stop. Kami, you definitely live to your name, Hanabi." He said with a grin infectious enough to make the other two in the group smile. "Anyway, is there a library nearby?" He asked Neji, the grin sliding off his face as he became serious again.

"Why do you need a library?" The Hyuuga asked. He knew that Naruto was not a fan of books, so the fact that he was asking for the location of a library was a little odd.

"I am way behind on the times, I need to catch up." He answered simply.

* * *

They had taken an air-cab to the biggest library in the city, the Serrice Republic Library. After Neji had paid the fair for the cab, they walked into the library. _"This place is huge!"_ Naruto thought to himself in amazement. The moment they walked into the place, they could see the full majesty of the library. Books lined the selves and the selves were everywhere. He could even see that the place had at least five floors.

"Excuse me, can I help you?" The librarian at the front desk asked them from where she sat.

"Yes, can you tell me where your history and culture books are?" Naruto asked as he walked up to the desk.

"What history and culture are you looking for, sir? Human? Turian? Asari?" She asked in reply.

"All." He answered shortly.

When she heard that answer, she didn't know what to say. Everyone who came into the library to this day had a specific race in mind. "All? Are you asking for the entire history and the entire culture of all the races in the known galaxy?"

"Yes." Again, he answered shortly.

"O-okay, the history books are on the right side of the third floor and the culture books are on the left side of the fifth floor. Is that everything, sir?"

"Yes, thank you." He walked away from the desk and stopped in front of Neji and his daughter. "Right, here we go." He said to himself, taking a deep breath. He crossed his hands into a handseal. **"Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu **(Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu)**!"** He whispered under his breath. The entire front area of the library was engulfed in smoke, surprising many of the people there. When the smoke cleared, if one was to down from a higher floor, they would've seen a lot of yellow near the front door. "Alright, you all heard what she said." Naruto addressed the thousand clones standing before him. "Half of you will take the history books and the other half will take the culture books. Once you're done with your book, dissipate. When you feel one of you dissipate, wait at least five minutes before trying to dissipate yourself. And remember to keep it down, you're in a library." The clones nodded in acknowledgment and walked away, filling the library with sounds of many feet hitting the floor. As they disappeared, the original turned around and walked out of the building despite the stunned looks he was getting.

Both Neji and Hanabi quickly followed him, exiting the library. "Hey, I thought you said that you needed to know what's gone in the past two thousand years." Hanabi said to him as they quickly walked down the stairs.

"I did, I just didn't say how I was going to catch up." He replied as they walked around a corner, out of sight from the main street. "Can anyone see us?" He asked, stopping.

"No." She answered, looking around and seeing no one else in sight.

"Good." He would've collapsed onto the ground right then and there if he hadn't placed a hand on the nearby wall to support him. His breath became a lot wheezier as he struggled to get it back.

"Naruto, are you okay!?" Neji asked with concern, moving to help him stay up.

"Jus…just give me a minute." He replied, waving away his help. "My chakra isn't all…isn't all completely back. Summoning those clones doesn't usually make me this winded." The wheezing in his breath soon faded as he managed to find the strength to stand without support again. "Okay, I'm a little better now."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure, I think I'd know if I was not okay." He walked back onto the main street. "I'm hungry, anybody else hungry?" He asked, changing the subject before either one of them could start bothering him about it.

"I am a little hungry too." Hanabi admitted. It was almost noon anyway.

"Then let's find the nearest food joint and get eating!" He declared.

"Naruto, was that all you wanted to do today?" Neji asked for clarification.

"Um…pretty much, why?" The blonde asked, looking back at him.

"I have a message from Admiral Hackett. He wants to see you as soon as you're able."

"What's an admiral?" He thought it was something that had to do with the sea, but he wasn't quite sure.

"He's a Jōnin, Naruto, a high-ranking one. It was his decision to have you unsealed, so he would naturally want to see how you've been doing."

"Oh, I see." He fell silent for a few moments. "Okay, I'll go this guy. But first things first, we are having food!" He walked off with both Hanabi and Neji behind him. Thankfully, he had decided to walk in the direction of where the restaurants were.

(Location: Serrice Spaceport)

After enjoying a good lunch (where Naruto stare off into the distance every five minutes as he processed new information), they dropped Hanabi back off at the hospital so her grandfather and mother could keep an eye on her. Both Naruto and Neji then started making their way to the spaceport. They finally took an air-cab once the last clone had dissipated and arrived at their location shortly afterwards.

"So, this Admiral guy is waiting for me nearby?" Naruto asked as they walked through the spaceport. Some of the aliens who were there glanced their way (mostly to look at Naruto, who was unaware of the looks), but most just generally ignored them.

"Yes, he's waiting in the port administrator's office. He wanted some privacy when talking to you." Neji answered him. "The office should be just up ahead."

"Then I'll keep following you." They kept walking and within a few minutes, they had found the office of the port administrator. Two guards stood outside the door. When they saw Naruto walking up to them, they went stiff as boards, but their faces were full of stunned awe.

"The admiral is just inside, sir." One of the guards told the blonde, managing to find his voice. "He'll want to see you alone."

"Alright, wish me luck." He said to Neji before walking to the door, which opened automatically for him. _"Man that's weird."_ He thought to himself as he entered the office, the door closing behind him.

Hackett turned away from the window when he heard the door close and faced the blonde. "Naruto Uzumaki, as I live and breathe," He said. "I don't think I would ever have the pleasure of meeting you." The way he spoke wasn't stunned or awed. It was simple and to the point, like the legendary blonde was just another person he was meeting.

"I don't think I would've ever had the pleasure of waking up over two thousand years in the future." Naruto replied, his tone slightly sarcastic (he couldn't help it). "Would it foolish to hope that you people have managed to come up with a good way of traveling to the past?"

"No, we haven't. It was generally agreed not to see if we could, due to the chance of unforeseen consequences if we could do it."

"Yeah, I can see why you'd all say. But still…" He stared past the Admiral and out the window. "It's a nice thought."

"Perhaps, but that was a decision that was made long ago." He realized something as he briefly looked at the desk in the office. "I'm sorry. I would offer you a seat, but this is not my office."

"That's alright; I'm used to standing when talking to my superiors. I apologized for taking my time getting here; I wanted to make sure I had gotten all the information from the library that I wanted."

"Yes, Neji had informed me of what you did. Although I am a bit surprised, I would've thought that you would want all the information the library wanted."

He could see the man's reasoning, but he still scowled. "Learning things by reading and studying have never been my thing. Besides, if I wanted to know everything the library had, you wouldn't see me for a week at best, Hackett." He suddenly realized his mistake. "Ah crap, I was supposed to call you Admiral or Jōnin, wasn't I?"

"It's fine; I know you're used to addressing your superiors by their names. If you're more used to that, I will not hold it against you."

"Thanks. Anyway, I wanted to know what I would be dealing with when it came to different people and races, so I had clones read every book they had on history and culture." Once again, he stared out the window. "…I guess that old saying is true after all."

"Which old saying would that be?" The Admiral had heard many of them.

"The more things change, the more they stay the same." He answered. "I had my friends seal me away so they could have peace, and yet that peace didn't last very long, did it? A war with two other continents took care of that." He now knew all about the War of Three Flags. Three continents fighting against each other just because they didn't like each other, it sounded about right for the human race.

"The peace may have been disrupted, but it was your dream of peace that led to reconciliation after the war and brought it back. You are honored for a lot of things, Naruto. The Systems Alliance is the way it is because of you. The shinobi force of the military now has a motto because of you."

"They do?" He was honestly surprised by that.

He nodded. "Never back down, always get back up." He intoned.

Naruto remembered those words. "I said that to a kid in Suna once. He was a refugee. He had lost his parents and his little sister when Obito attacked his village. He saw me and Gaara walking down one of the streets and asked why we kept fighting when it was so hopeless. And I told him 'We're shinobi. We never back down from what we stand for and we always get back up when we're knocked down.'" There was a little more to it than that, but he didn't feel like going into detail.

"That kid took your words to heart. He became a shinobi and eventually became the Rokudaime Kazekage. He lived by those words and it soon became the motto for the shinobi."

He felt flattered by that. By the time he had ended the war, he had honestly felt that he hadn't done everything he could, that people would speak of him with nothing but distaste and disappointment in their voices. But to be known as the one who gave the shinobi a motto made him happy, in a small way. But he had to focus to on the present. "While that is cool, I must ask what kind of mission the Alliance will put me on."

Hackett's face went blank. "Mission? Why do you think you're being put on one?"

He frowned at the admiral. "I'm not as stupid as I once was, Jōnin Hackett. You wouldn't have broken the seal if the Alliance didn't want something of me. And I'm fairly certain it's not to entertain news reporters and take interviews, considering how no one has really found out about me." He had dealt with people wanting to interview him during the war, but he didn't have the time and he never wanted to.

The blank expression faded away and was replaced with a small smile. "You would be correct, Naruto. The Alliance does have something special planned for you, but it all hinges on one thing."

"And what's that?"

"If you'll rejoin the Shinobi force and be a part of the Alliance," He answered as he pulled something out from his pocket and held them out for the blonde to see. It was two metal tags on a metal chain. His name was inscribed on them but that was all he could see, due to the angle of the light shining down on them.

"What are you talking about, 'rejoin the Shinobi force'?" He asked as he took the tags out of Hackett's hand. "I never left." He declared, putting the tags around his neck.

"I thought you might say that. There is something else." He walked over to a small chest (Naruto hadn't realized that it was there). It looked old and the way Hackett opened it, like it was something that meant something, he could tell that it was something important. "After the Fourth Shinobi World War ended, the Kages had decided to grant you the rank of Jōnin and placed the flak jacket you were to be given inside the same chest where they kept the seal tag that would release you." Hackett told him as he pulled something out of the chest and held it out for the blonde to see. "We've added a few things when you were freed, but it is still the same thing."

Naruto looked down at the flak jacket in the Admiral's hands and took it with gentle fingers. He looked at it and saw that it was the same as he remembered. It was the same dark green color. The neck guard and extra shoulder padding were there as well as the three scroll pouches on each of the front. The red crest of Uzushiogakure on the back almost made him cry with happiness. But as Hackett had said, there were a few added things. He had found two, a symbol on the neck guard which was two bars touching each other on one end and widened at the other, leaving space to fit in the picture of the Earth. The symbol was done in silver and laid over a field of black. If he had to guess, it was the symbol of the Systems Alliance. On the shoulders, two black stripes separated the top portion. Inside the stripes were three black bars. "What does those mean?" He asked, pointing with his eyes at the bars.

"They signify your exact rank, a lieutenant commander. Do you accept this jacket and what all that it entities?" The Admiral asked, using the same words the Hokage once used when promoting a shinobi to Jōnin rank.

He looked at the jacket once more. He put it on slowly, not saying a word as he slipped his arms through. He reached down and slowly zipped it up. He stood there for a few moments, getting used to the flak jacket. _"It feels a little stiff and heavy. But I supposed I'll get used to it."_ He thought to himself. "I accept it fully, Admiral." He threw a somewhat sloppy salute (only because he had only seen it and not tried it himself).

Hackett returned the salute. "It's good to have you, Commander."

* * *

Secondary Codex (Humanity and the Systems Alliance: Culture): FANGIRLS

_Not much can be said about the human group known as Fangirls. Humans seem to see them with fear and terror. They also seem to run away and hide whenever they are nearby._

_Fangirls are a group of human females who seem to have only one thing in common and that would be their worship of a single person, be it male or female (there is also a group called Fanboys, who are usually discussed less by human males then the Fangirls). They are known to have large pictures of their person of worship (or POW) in their rooms, emit a high-pitched noise when that POW is near, and also follow them wherever they go. They also know practically everything about the POW (bordering on the lines of watching them in their sleep), and apparently know where they are at all times. _

_But according to sources, what is most feared about the Fangirls is the fact that given the chance, they will gladly rape the POW. Though there are no reports of this ever actually succeeding, the POWs of Fangirls are always paranoid about this fact (it also seems to be the main reason as to why they keep running every time the Fangirls are near)._

_Fangirls are known to worship many different people, but most seem to worship shinobi (some are even shinobi themselves, which makes the POW even more nervous). Rival clubs of Fangirls have been known to have an intense hatred of one another, mostly because they worship someone else. At one time in Human history, a conflict even broke out due to multiple clubs (See: Fangirl War)._

_While mostly feared for the reasons listed above, Fangirls are also respected for their tenacity and seemingly endless stamina. They are also quick to anger if their POW is mocked or insulted and will quickly get rid of the offender. As one Human Ambassador once famously told the Council "If Humanity wanted to rule the galaxy, all we'd have to do is sic the Fangirls on you."_

* * *

**End**

**Author's note:** Thank you for all the reviews you've sent me. I'm glad to have been able to hit triple digits with this story.

If you have trouble trying to imagine Naruto's new pants, just think Jin Kazama's pants gone cargo and with the flames on both legs. I'll admit the guy gets some cool pants. Plus, it helps signify where Naruto comes from and what he believes in.

If you want to imagine the show Naruto and the volus talked about, just think Shinobi history done on the style of _A Game of Thrones_. I'll be honest; I've never read the books or seen the show (aide from wikis and videos). But I think it sounds about right. Lord only knows how complicated the Shinobi past was, especially before Konoha was created.

Regarding Naruto almost collapsing outside the library that was the first time he had consciously used chakra in over two thousand years. It's not going to be completely and he needs to work on his control over it again. He'll be back to what he used to be after some training and he probably won't have something like that happened again.

And as for the promotion to Jōnin, did you really expect him to be a commander of a ship and still be a Genin? Even I would call bullshit on that one. If he's going to be in command of a ship, then he needs to have a higher rank. And personally, I say he deserves the promotion.

I couldn't resist when it came for the Codex. I mean come on, how funny would it be if the Codex of Mass Effect had an entry about Fangirls? That means they'd have to take seriously if it's out there for everyone to read (it also gives me a chance to do some funny running away scenes).

I'll see you all next chapter!


	6. Redefining the phrase Old School

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Mass Effect.

Misplaced

Chapter 6: Redefining the phrase "Old School"

"Talking"

"_Thinking"_

"**Biju/VI/Geth/Reaper talking"**

"_**Biju/VI/Geth/Reaper thinking"**_

Reading/ News/Intercom

(Location: Naruto)

If a person had walked into the empty gym on the _SSV Everest_ and they weren't a shinobi, they would've come across a peculiar sight. Naruto, clad only in a pair of sweatpants and his shades, was standing on his hands, and was concentrating on a leaf that was attached to his forehead. Every couple of minutes, he would slowly push down on his hands and then push back up. It was an exercise that tested his control over his body and over his chakra.

Ever since he had accepted Hackett's offer and his new rank (he still thought of himself as a Jōnin though), he had spent every waking moment getting his body back into its old fighting condition. He pushed himself every single day and more often than not, collapsed in exhaustion right on the spot. At first, he stayed on Thessia, but after he had met that Justicar and the two of them had managed to turn the exercise area they were in, which was a large building, into what could only be described as a ruined warzone (the two of them swore that they were just sparring but people found it hard to believe. It honestly looked more like a grudge match happened then simple sparring), it was generally agreed that he should stay on the _Everest_, where he was less likely to wreck things in such a grand fashion (he took offense at that, they made it sound it happened on purpose).

It had taken him about two weeks of training, but Naruto was mostly back to his old self. He was still rusty in a few places. During the war, he had been forced to teach himself how to use the **Rasengan** without a clone and now, he was back to using the clone. Not to mention that it would still take some time until he would be able to use the more powerful jutsus in his arsenal, especially the one he had copied off of Sasuke (he briefly remembered the time when he had demonstrated the jutsu, Sasuke accused him of plagiarizing him. Even though he sounded serious during the entire argument, everyone knew that he actually wasn't. In the end, he complimented Naruto in his own way on the jutsu).

However, he was still adjusting to the modern time. He still felt like an idiot whenever he went past an asari (even though others had assured him that he wasn't alone in that department). He was still having such a hard time navigating through both the _Everest_ and Serrice that he was beginning to consider getting a map (he was still trying to figure out how he ended up in the women's shower when he was looking for the cafeteria. Thankfully, he recognized his mistake quickly and got out of there before anyone saw him). When he could, he would pour over the dictionary, slowly learning the English language (the process included a great deal of repeating the words, sometimes butchering them badly, and a greater deal of swearing).

Satisfied with the exercise, Naruto lowered his feet back down to the ground. As he straightened himself, he took the leaf gently off of his forehead and looked at it. It was just an ordinary leaf he had picked off of a tree on Thessia, but that wasn't why he looked at it. He looked at it and remembered the time Iruka had tried to teach him, Kiba, Shikamaru, and Chōji the same exercise he had just used, only for the four of them to blow him off. "Kami, I was an idiot." He muttered to himself as he left the gym and entered the locker room. He quickly stripped and showered. He was out of the locker room in less than ten minutes, clad in his normal clothes.

The minute he was out, a Genin was waiting for him (he knew that the shinobi had a more specific rank, but he also knew no one was going angry about calling him a Genin). "Sir," The Genin saluted him, which he returned (he had gotten better at it out of necessity). "Admiral Hackett wants to see you ASAP."

"Alright, lead the way please." He replied, lowering the salute. The Genin nodded. They started walking down the hallway with the Genin in lead. As they walked through the ship, they would pass people in the corridors who gave Naruto a brief nod of acknowledgement. When he had first come aboard, the crewmembers could look at him with stunned wonder. They loosened up slightly after he told a new enlisted member that if he kept that look up, it would freeze on his face, making everyone in hearing range laugh.

They soon got into an elevator and rode in silence. As the elevator finally pinged, signally that they had arrived at the requested deck, the Genin stepped out and so did Naruto. "I can find my way from here." The blonde told the Genin, who nodded and saluted him again before walking away. He quickly found the Admiral's office and knocked on the door before walking in. "Hackett." He greeted the Admiral, who sat at his desk.

"Commander," Hackett returned the greeting. Even though he let the blonde get away with calling him by his name, he also cautioned him that other high-ranking officers will not allow him to do that. "Please come in, take a seat." He waited in silence as the blonde sat down in front of him. "I've heard that you've recovered all of your former strength."

"_Most_ of my strength," He corrected. "But if you're asking me if I'm capable of completing missions, the answer would be yes. Why? What's going on?"

"_There's no use beating around the bush."_ The Admiral thought to himself. "I'll be honest with you, Naruto. Ever since you've awoken, there have been…doubts about your abilities to function in the modern day."

"Were these doubts started by that asari Matriarch in the hospital?" Every time he had passed Dr. Moria, she always looked at him skepticism and disbelief, as well as a slight hatred. He didn't know why she was like that; he had been polite to her every time they met.

"Yes, but others are starting to believe it too after you had that day regarding armor and weapons." He pointed out.

(Flashback)

"What in the name of Kami is this?" Naruto asked as he looked into the barrel of a pistol. He was in a shooting gallery on Thessia with a small group of shinobi and samurai. He had been brought down to the gallery in order to get acquainted with modern day weaponry and armor. There were some aliens in the gallery but the majority of the people there were humans.

"Commander, don't do that!" A nearby soldier all but screamed when he saw what the blonde was doing.

He jerked his eye away from it, reacting on instinct. "What? You made sound like my head's going to get blown off or something!"

"That's exactly what would happen! That's where the bullet comes out of!"

"Oh, right, got it. Stay from the hole in the thingy." He lowered the gun away from his face, but still looked at it. "So this is a… projectile thrower?" He asked a nearby Chūnin, a middle-aged man with more grey hair then black, turning the pistol over in his hands with an expression of confusion and amazement on his face.

"Um…I haven't heard someone put it like that. But yes, that's basically it." The Chūnin replied. Most of the solders there would've found the situation funny if it had been any other person. But they were dealing with a man who was from a time where kunai and shuriken were the main choice of weapons (those same weapons were still in use today, but were mostly used for either a distraction or close-quarter combat).

"And I just point and pull this trigger to fire it?" He held the gun the way they had shown him, pointing it at the Chūnin, making the others duck.

"Yes Commander. But please point that at the target and not us." The Chūnin all but begged, pointing at the row of targets. They were a row of target dummies that had enough armor on to generate a kinetic barrier (which could be turned on or off manually).

"Oops, sorry about that," He apologized, swinging the gun back around to the targets. The aliens in the room snickered at the sight of the blonde. Unlike the humans, they definitely found the situation funny. While some of the soldiers scowled at them, the blonde did not. He held the gun the way he had been shown, focused on the target, and pulled the trigger. The shot rang out, but the kick had caught him by surprise, making him swing his arms up. As a result, the bullet flew over the target and buried itself in the wall. The gallery was completely silent. "…I'm guessing I did it wrong, didn't I?" The blonde asked sheepishly. The snickering turned into full-blown laughter when he said that.

"You find this funny!?" A Genin who looked to be barely in his twenties demanded of a nearby turian.

"A little bit, yes." The turian answered, trying hard not to grin.

The Genin looked like he wanted to slug the turian right there, but stopped when Naruto spoke. "Yeah, it's always funny until someone gets hurt. Like an inexperienced novice who gets mad at the laughter directed at him and tries to prove that he can do it, only to injure someone." The new commander remarked in casual tone. The laughter disappeared after he said that. They weren't sure if he was threating them or not. "I'm just saying." He told them after seeing the looks on their faces.

"Will you try again, sir?" The Chūnin asked him. He, along with the rest of the soldiers, almost desperately wanted him to shut the aliens up. The majority reason was so he could prove to the aliens that he wasn't a joke or an idiot.

"No, I won't right now. I'll probably do it later when there isn't much of a crowd." His shaded eyes glanced over to the aliens in the gallery. "Plus, I don't think we need another spectacle like when I tried to put that armor on."

He grimaced. "Fair enough, sir." He had been there in the armory earlier when Naruto was first introduced to the modern day armor. It had taken him forty five minutes to put on the set they had given him…backwards. The soldiers there (which included Neji and Captain Anderson) as well as Irzia and Moria tried to hold back their laughter, but when he asked if he had put it on right, they lost it and fell to the ground howling ("That's a no, isn't it?" Naruto had asked).

After they were done laughing, Naruto went back into the locker room and spent another forty five minutes getting it on right. But even after he came out wearing it correctly, it still felt wrong on him. He told them that it felt stiff and heavy, when he tried to move, he felt clumsy and bulky. Considering that he was wearing the lightest type they had, they began discussing the idea of creating a custom design for him. He surprised them by telling them flat-out he wasn't going to wear any kind of armor unless it was absolutely necessary. When Moria asked him with a condescending smile what he would when the bullets started to fly, he looked her straight in the eye and asked if the ideas of ducking and/or finding cover had ever occurred to the Asari or did they just paint a big target on themselves in battle so their enemies knew where to look. To avoid a fight, both Neji and Anderson suggested he go down to the shooting gallery and be shown how to shoot a gun.

"You'll have to wear armor if you go to a planet or a moon that has no breathing atmosphere or no atmosphere, Commander." A nearby samurai told the blonde.

"And I'll wear if and when it comes to that. Until, I'm staying in my clothes, thank you." He replied.

"And how exactly will you utilize a weapon rack if you do not have armor on?" Moria asked as she walked into the gallery, that same condescending smile on her face.

"What's a weapon rack?" He asked the Chūnin in confusion.

"It's what allows you to place your weapons on the back of your armor or your side, sir." He answered patiently.

"Ah, I see. Pass then." He declared. The soldiers weren't really surprised by his words, but the smile on Moria's face became even more condescending (if that was possible).

"Then you will be weaponless in the field? Not even your precious 'chikri' would save you every time." She butchered the word chakra on purpose, trying to get a raise out of the humans.

"The word is _chakra_, ma'am, and you never know what it can do." He told her in complete seriousness, looking her in the eye. "Besides, I'm not weaponless. That's what these are for." He pulled out a kunai and a shuriken. When he had first come aboard the _Everest_, he had been taken to the armory and given a new set of kunai and shuriken. He didn't pay attention to most of details about them; all he needed to know was that they were sharper, lighter, and less likely to rust then his previous set.

"Those?" She let out a harsh laugh. No one joined her as everyone (aside from Naruto) had remembered watching the new report about her infamous remark and the Alliance's reply. "How could you possible harm whatever enemies you have with knives?"

He turned to face the target without saying a word to her. Without any warning of any kind, his hands blurred as he reached into his holster and pouch, pulled out both kunai and shuriken, and threw them at the target. The gallery was filled with the sound of the blades spinning through the air as well as the thuds of them hitting the target. Both human and alien watched in stunned silence as he threw kunai after kunai and shuriken after shuriken at the target. Finally, when he was done, everything he had thrown at the target had either struck a fatal area or an area where it was most painful. He turned to face Moria. "Like that." He told her, pointing at the target.

She was stunned but she quickly clamped down on it, putting a sneer on her face. "Oh yes, most impressive, you attacked a target dummy that didn't even have its shields on. Your enemies won't give that kind of luxury."

He gave her an annoyed look and rolled his eyes. He walked towards the dummy and pulled out all the kunai and shuriken, placing them back in the holster and pouch. He walked back to where he originally stood, found the button that activated the shield and flipped it. He took a deep breath and clasped his hands together as if he was praying. His chakra flared to life in his hands and he brought them down to his sides. Again, his hands blurred as he threw kunai and shuriken at the target. But this time, they didn't hit the target. They _tore_ through it. When he was done, the dummy had holes in the exact same spots he had thrown the first time and everything he had thrown was imbedded in the wall behind the dummy. "Like that." Naruto told Moria in the same tone of voice, pointing at the target.

(End Flashback)

"Sheesh, you use a little Wind Style chakra to prove a point and they never let you hear the end of it." The blonde groaned.

"Perhaps you shouldn't have used Wind Style chakra." Hackett pointed out dryly. "You had proven your point the first time."

"It didn't feel like it the way she kept talking."

"And there was also the time we introduced you to the omni-tool."

He scowled. "I still maintain this thing is stupid." He declared as he brought his omni-tool into visual sight. The day they had tried to explain to him how the omni-tool operates, it had led to an argument. Finally they asked how he would get past a locked door that could only be open by using an omni-tool. "Kick the door down." He answered.

"What if the door is reinforced?" They asked him.

"Shove a **Rasengan** at it." He replied.

"What if the door is reinforced to withstand a **Rasengan**?"

"Find some other way to get in."

"What if there wasn't any other way to get in?"

"Again, kick the door down."

The argument continued for another half hour. They finally managed to convince him to wear it so he could keep track of any money he had (he had been stunned by the fact that money was mostly handled electronically). "And how do you even get this thing to go away?!" Naruto demanded, shaking his arm like he was trying to fling the omni-tool off.

Hackett would've found the scene a little amusing, if it had been anyone else. "You do it like so." He showed the blonde the motion and he repeated it.

"Thanks." He leaned back in the chair. "So what exactly did you guys have in mind to prove them wrong? If I have to do a written test, then I am going to flat out refuse." His memories of the written tests in the Academy and the Chūnin Exams still haunted him. He had slightly less distaste for the reports he had to write, but only slightly.

He shook his head. "No, it was decided that you would be tested in a live fire exercise against the best twenty Asari Commando groups on Thessia."

"How many commandos are there to a group?" The blonde asked. He had heard a few things about the Asari Commandos. How until the shinobi arrived on the galactic stage, they were the best, the elite of soldiers. But ever since the reports of shinobi in action filtered out to the rest of the galaxy, there's been tension between the military groups. Although no one has said it aloud, many were interested in seeing representatives of the two groups go at each other, and now they had an opportunity, with a legendary shinobi no less.

"From what I've been told, the average is about five commandos in a group."

"So you're sending me up against a hundred supposedly elite Asari soldiers." He repeated. "Kinda unfair, isn't it?"

"I'm sure you will manage." The Admiral replied, albeit with a small smile on his face. He knew what the legendary shinobi was thinking.

(Location: Thessia)

Everyone waited in a clearing that was on the outskirts of a forest. Moria and Irzia stood waiting on one side with the twenty Commando groups behind them. They were checking their weapons, making sure everything was good to go.

On the other side of the clearing, Hackett, Anderson, and Neji stood there, facing the asari. Behind them, Naruto was going through a last minute lesson regarding his sunglasses. "If you could please tap the left side of the glasses, sir," One of the scientists surrounding him told him. "That will activate the HUD."

He did so, and started to look around a bit wildly. "Whoa, what's going on here?" He demanded.

"No need to worry, sir. That's your HUD, your heads-up display." Another of the scientists told him. "It will allow you to monitor the condition of your body, the amount of chakra you have left, the shield capacity and condition of any squad members that are with you on your mission. You'll notice at the bottom right of your screen, there is a small radar that'll let you know the location of enemies and friendlies. It should help you immensely on your missions."

"This is nice, guys." He complemented the scientists. "Really, it is. So how do I turn it off?"

"Just tap the left side again, commander." A third scientist answered his question. He did so and the HUD disappeared.

"Are you ready, commander?" Anderson asked him.

"As ready as I'll ever be." He walked forward to the empty ground between the two groups. "Afternoon, ladies," He greeted the Asari Commandos. They looked at him with blank expressions, until one of them turned and said something to the others, making them giggle and laugh while both Irzia and Moria rolled their eyes. "I don't know about the rest of the galaxy, but on Earth it's not really polite to talk about someone while they're right in front of you." He told them pointedly.

"Oh, I am sorry." The one who had spoken said without an ounce of apology in her voice. "We were just wondering if the supposed 'legend' was ready." The giggling and laughing got louder. They couldn't really believe that this blonde who looked like he was barely out of his diaper to them was some kind legend to shinobi.

"Yeah, I'm ready. But I still think that this whole thing is kinda unfair." He remarked.

"Oh, is the little human afraid of the big scary Asari Commandos?" She asked in a childish voice, making the other Commandos laugh even harder. To them, this exercise was a joke. "How about we give you a ten second head start? That way you might actually hope you have a chance."

He didn't say anything; he just stared at them in silence. The laughter died down as the Commandos began to feel unnerved by his unflinching stare. It was like he was staring into the depth of their souls and they couldn't stare back. Finally, he gave them a very foxlike grin. "You shouldn't have said that." He said cheerfully before disappearing into the forest.

The Commandos were surprised by his actions, but couldn't do anything about as they now had to wait ten seconds before they could go after him. The ten seconds moved slowly for them. When the time was finally up, they charged into the forest, breaking into their respective groups and scattering.

After the last Commando disappeared into the thickness of the woods, the two groups faced each other. "Care for a little wager, gentlemen?" Moria asked Anderson and the others. "We have a few bets on which group beats your shinobi. Would you like to place a bet on who will win?"

They shared a look in silence for what seemed to be a minute. "A hundred credits say Naruto wins." Hackett finally said.

"Five hundred says he wins only using **Kage Bunshin**." Neji replied. This got everyone else going; placing bets on how the blonde would win. Not a single human placed a bet on the Asari Commandos.

(Location: Forest)

The leader led her group of Commandos deeper into the woods. She kept her shotgun aimed forward while two others watched their flanks and the last two watched their rear. "Anybody see him?" She asked.

"No." answered the Commando in the rear, her assault rifle steady in her hands. "Remind me why we're not using the radar to find him?"

"Because Matriarch Moria told us not to, so we could 'give the poor human a sporting chance'." She said, mimicking the Matriarch's voice perfectly, making the others smirk. "What sporting chance? We have no idea where this guy is."

"Don't worry, Iressa, we'll find him and the reward is ours." Her second-in-command assured her. Before the exercise had started, Moria had told the Commandos that whoever beat the blonde would get a substantial amount of credits for a reward.

"If only one group gets the reward, shouldn't we focus on the other groups?" The rear Commando asked. It made plausible sense to her. The fewer groups there were, the more likely they would be able to find the blonde and beat him.

The leader shook her head. "No, that's what he would want. Fighting amongst ourselves would give him the advantage."

"You would be absolutely right." The voice of the blonde said, echoing all around them. They raised their weapons, ready to fire, only to have their feet yanked out from under and strung up in a net. As they hung off the ground in the net, they saw Naruto standing upside down on tree branch with the same foxlike grin on his face. "I would use the groups fighting against each other to my advantage, just like I would use distracted Commandos to my advantage."

* * *

"What was that?" One of the Commandos asked, spinning around and pointing her gun at a nearby bush.

"It's just the bush, idiot." The leader of the group told her, making the others smirk. She was the FNG of the group, so she was the one who was frequently teased or tormented. It would fade after they got used to her, or when she died (whichever came first).

"Sorry, I'm just nervous." The FNG apologized.

"How can you be nervous? It's just one person we're up against." Another of the group reminded her.

"Yeah, but I read up on this guy. From what I've learned, when he was just a low-ranked shinobi, he fought against two demons and a god and won all three." Granted, she had gotten the information from a children's book, but she wasn't about to let the rest of the group know that.

Unfortunately, the rest of the group laughed at her. "Seriously?" asked the leader, hefting her gun up onto her shoulder. "He fought against two demons and a god? Who would believe that kind of crap? Talk about unrealistic."

"You have a point there." Their target's voice rang out. Before they could react, a blur burst out of a nearby bush and swiftly knocked the legs out from under the Commando at the rear. As she fell, he rendered her unconscious with a quick blow to the head and disappeared out of sight before they could get a good aim on him. "I mean, Zabuza was certainly no demon but he tried to live up to the title." He continued speaking like nothing had happened.

The remaining Commandos raised their weapons and started looking around for him, but all they could see was trees and foliage. "Where is he? Anyone see him?" The leader demanded as she focused on the trees around her, ready to take the shot if he appeared.

"I can't see him! I don't know where he is!" One of the Commandos replied, sounding very nervous. She had never seen a Commando be taken down that quickly, even if she was surprised. Nor had she seen anyone move that fast before.

"And I don't think Gaara was a demon either." Their target spoke again, echoing around them. "He was just slightly terrifying to those who didn't know him." Before anyone saw him, Naruto looked like he appeared out of a tree and rushed them. They turned to fire at him, but they weren't fast enough. He vaulted over one of them and while in midair, he grabbed another one and spun her around so that her back was facing him. As gravity took control of him again, he slammed his knee into her back, pressing her into the ground and knocking her unconscious. The three remaining Commandos whipped around and opened fire, but they had hit nothing. He had disappeared again.

"How in the name of the Goddess can he move that?" The leader demanded as she swung her gun around. "Nobody can move that fast!"

"Well apparently, he can!" The FNG replied.

"What can we do against this guy?" The third Commando asked, trying to stay calm. It was difficult, as she was getting more and more scared. It felt like she was facing a silent hunter who knew her every move while she didn't know a single one of his.

"As for Nagato, he wasn't a god, just a man with a dream." The target spoke for the third time, making them even more nervous. He leapt down from a tree branch and charged at them. Grabbing hold of the Commando in the middle by her waist, he continued charging and disappeared into the woods, the Commando's scream cut off abruptly. "…And personally, I think that made him more than a god." He spoke after a minute of unnerving silence.

The leader couldn't take it anymore. She screamed and started firing into the woods, hitting nothing but wood and leaves. She was so scared and frightened that she didn't think to use her biotics. "Where are you?!" She shouted at the forest.

"Where do you think I am?" He asked backed, his voice echoing around them. His tone was slightly teasing, taunting them.

"Come out and face me, you coward! Give me a fair fight!"

"Are you kidding?" With no warning, he landed behind her and covered her mouth as well as her nose, slowly suffocating her until she blacked out from the lack of oxygen. "I'm a shinobi. The words 'fair fight' are not in our dictionary. In fact, I'm fairly certain a few people used to consider them to be blasphemous." He told her unconscious body as it collapsed to the ground. He heard the sound of a gun being raised from behind him. He turned around and saw the FNG pointing her gun at him.

"St-stay put." She ordered, desperately trying not to sound scared shitless. But her voice was shaky and so were her hands. She couldn't keep a steady aim on the blonde, who stared at her with no expression on his face. "I mean it, stay there!" She told him when he took a step towards her. He ignored the threat and took another step. He kept walking to her until he stood a few inches in front of the gun. Her shaking increased and she could barely hold the gun. In her mind, she wasn't facing a human; she was facing a messenger of death come to take her.

He reached up and gently took the gun from her. "You're green, aren't you?" He asked her quietly. She could nod her head rapidly. He was silent for a moment, until he offered her gun back to her. She took it and he quickly rendered her unconscious with a chop to her neck. Before she had hit the ground, he had disappeared.

* * *

"Do you see him?" The leader of the group asked the sniper as she hid in the tree while the others found cover.

"No, I don't." The sniper answered. "And I don't see any of the other groups either." This group, like some of the others, had decided to attack the other groups so they could have a better chance of winning the reward.

"Keep looking." She ordered. The sniper didn't say anything in return; she just shifted her weight on the branch that held her.

"It's been over two hours since we came into this forest." Another Commando grumbled as she checked her shotgun. "The only things we've seen so far are the other groups. Where could one blonde human go to?"

Before anyone could answer her question (sarcastically or not), the sound of something falling in the filled their ears, which was quickly followed by the sound of a body hitting the ground. They turned to see what had happened, only to find their sniper unconscious. "Perhaps he was waiting for you lot to realize he had been watching you for the past fifteen minutes." The blonde's voice rang out above them. They looked up and saw him crouched low on the same branch the sniper had been perched on. He leapt down at them, ready for the fight. The surrounding area was filled with the sounds of gunfire, biotics, and flesh hitting flesh. Then silence.

(Location: Clearing)

They had not moved from the clearing since both the blonde and the Commando groups went into the forest. While Irzia was uncertain about who would win, Moria was completely confident that the Commandos would succeed in beating the shinobi. The Commandos were the best on Thessia and she had no doubt in her mind that they would beat the blonde. After all, Asari Commandos were the finest soldiers in the galaxy, despite what others might say. "It's been well over three hours, gentlemen." She told the humans. "If your so-called 'legendary' shinobi is still going, then he must be hiding from the Commandos. That's the only way he'd survived this long."

"You're rather confident about the Commandos, Matriarch Moria." Hackett commented.

"Well of course, few humans have ever gone up against Asari Commandos." She replied. "They're in a class all of their own."

"And so is Naruto." Neji replied. He had grown to like the blonde ever since he had been released from the seal and was willingly to defend him.

"You will have to pardon me if I don't believe you." She told him. "I find it hard to believe that he would be able to win against twenty of the best Commando groups on Thessia."

"Then should I just go back in there and wait for them all to get up so we can have Round two?" Naruto asked, leaning against one of the trees. When everyone turned their attention onto him, he walked forward into the clearing. "By the way, you probably shouldn't have offered that reward to them." He told Moria. "I spent the first forty five minutes watching them attack each other. That 'novel idea' actually shortened the whole exercise by quite some time." He placed sarcastic emphasis on the words novel idea. "My clones didn't have enough time to finish the pits I had them digging. Thankfully, they managed to get the rope and net traps readied as well as the wires."

"You only used the **Kage Bunshin **jutsu?" Neji asked for clarification. If the blonde said yes, then that meant he had won the bet.

"You mean aside from standing upside down on tree branches and on the sides of the trees? Pretty much, yeah," He answered. The Hyuuga wore a triumphant smirk while the other humans (minus Hackett and Anderson, who remained professional) grumbled at the loss. "The rest was just me."

"I trust your doubts have been laid to rest?" Hackett asked Moria, who didn't say anything in return. "Then, if you'll excuse us, we will leave." He turned around and began walking away. Anderson and the others followed him. Irzia joined them, running up to Nejji's side.

As they walked away from the clearing, Naruto turned back to the Matriarch. "For the record, when I said that I thought this whole thing was kinda unfair, I meant for them." He told her. He was not smug or arrogant. He was completely serious. "The next time you want to try something like this on me, try the best _fifty_ Commando groups on Thessia. That should be more of a challenge." He walked away from the clearing, leaving a stunned and somewhat infuriated Asari Matriarch there.

* * *

Codex Entry (Humanity and the Systems Alliance): SHINOBI RANKING

_While most races of the galaxy use a number of different number systems to rank the difficulty of something, Humanity is unique in the fact that they use a letter system to ascertain the difficulty. The system use six letters, the lowest rank is E and the highest is S. The ranks are used for describing the difficulty of either a jutsu or a mission. _

_E-rank is only for Academy jutsus, taught to the Academy students. While the weakest in the ranking order, they are the most often used, becoming second nature to a seasoned shinobi._

_D-rank jutsus are the jutsus that are usually taught to newly made Genin when they've graduated from the Academy. Likewise, D-rank missions are usually given exclusively to Genin, as it is the lowest rank in missions._

_C-rank jutsus take some training before being able to be properly utilized and are usually for shinobi who have been given the rank of Chūnin. C-rank missions are generally given to Chūnin, although they are also given to Genin who have enough experience. _

_B-rank jutsus are usually utilized by Chūnin and Jōnin. B-rank missions are also usually assigned to Chūnin and Jōnin. They are quite different from a D-rank or C-rank mission, as they are more likely to encounter opposition._

_A-rank jutsus are used by shinobi of Jōnin or Kage levels. Extensive training is required before being able to use these jutsus. There is also a possibility that the jutsu can be proven as a hazard to the user, which would classify the jutsu as a kinjutsu. A-rank missions are assigned to Jōnin and usually include the personal interest of a country._

_S-rank jutsus are intended to be used by highly experienced Jōnin or Kage level shinobi. Most jutsus of this rank are unique to a shinobi and are like a trademark to that shinobi. S-rank missions are the most dangerous of the ranks. They are exclusively taken by highly skilled Jōnin or a large group of shinobi._

_These ranks (with the exception of E) are also assigned to missing-nin, or rouge shinobi (See: Missing-nin). _

_The ranks of shinobi are completely different than those concerning jutsus and missions. Even though there are many different military ranks in the modern day, the ancient ranks are still used to describe a group of ranks._

_Genin are low shinobi, who have just graduated from the Academy. In modern day, if one is called a Genin, then they have the rank of Serviceman 3__rd__ class, 2__nd__ class, or 1__st__ class._

_Chūnin are middle shinobi. They have more experience than Genin, but have less experience then Jōnin. To be called a Chūnin in modern times, one is of the rank of Service Chief, Gunnery Chief, or Operations Chief._

_Tokubetsu Jōnin are Jōnin who have Jōnin training in one area, instead of having all around training and are usually assigned as subordinates to Jōnin. In the modern day, one must be a 2__nd__ lieutenant, 1__st__ lieutenant, or a staff lieutenant to be called a Tokubetsu Jōnin._

_Jōnin are high shinobi. They are the highest of normal shinobi ranks, second only to the rank of Kage. Nowadays, if one is called a Jōnin, then they must be a lieutenant commander, staff commander, captain or major, rear admiral or general, admiral, or fleet admiral._

* * *

**End**

**Author's note:** Thank you for all the reviews you've sent me.

If you think that the Justicar that Naruto sparred against is Samara, then the answer would be yes. However, she will appear in person for the first time when I get to Mass Effect 2, no earlier. Until then, you'll have to deal with references.

Personally, I think that it would take Naruto some time to get used to the idea of using guns and even then, I honestly can't see him using a shotgun or an assault rifle. Either he'd accidently throw the thing up into the air after shooting, or he'd just be shooting all over the place. Also, I didn't put down all the details about the new kunai and shuriken that Naruto got because, quite frankly, he wouldn't care. All that information (except for the stuff he thinks is necessary) would go in his ear and out the other without even stopping for coffee.

He also would not wear the armor unless he absolutely had to. He didn't wear any in his own time, so he's not used to the additional weight. Plus, it'll make any future fights more difficult for him. Remember, he does some of his best work with a handicap.

I think we can all agree that even in his own time, when it came to locked doors he needed to get past, Naruto would kick the door down. I don't see him having the patience for learning how to pick a lock.

For the record, I used the Mass Effect Wiki to help me assign what ranks went with what classifications.

I'll see you all next chapter!


	7. When does Normal go out the window?

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Mass Effect.

Misplaced

Chapter 7: When does "Normal" go out the window?

"Talking"

"_Thinking"_

"**Biju/VI/Geth/Reaper talking"**

"_**Biju/VI/Geth/Reaper thinking"**_

Reading/ News/Intercom

(Location: Naruto)

No matter how much he ran, he couldn't see the edge of the forest. The trees surrounding him had no leaves on their branches and looked they had survived a forest fire. The ground itself was scorched and he saw flakes of ash floating through the air.

He knew he was running, but he was running in slow motion. Wherever he looked, he saw shades of people. But whenever he got close to them, they would fade away. "What is going on? Where am I?" He asked himself as he kept moving. "Hello, is there anyone out there?" He called out. Some of the shades seemed like they turned to hear his voice, but he couldn't tell if they actually were.

"…at you?" A faint whisper of a voice echoed in his ear, making him look around, trying to see who it was that had spoken.

"Hello?" He called out.

"…That you?" The whisper echoed again, sounding a little clearer.

"Where are you?" He looked for where that particular voice was coming from amongst the shades.

"Is that you?" For the third time the whisper echoed in his ear, much clearer than before. This time, he managed to figure out where it came from. He followed the sound of the whisper, zeroing in on a particular shade. As he got closer, the shade became more and more lifelike, until the back of a person stood in front of him.

He reached out to grab the person's shoulder and turn him around. But when he saw who the person was, he stumbled back in surprise. "O-Orochimaru?" He asked in surprise. He shouldn't had to ask who it was, he knew that pale skin, purple markings, and golden serpent eyes belong to only one person. That same person had died half a year into the war.

"Hello, Naruto." The Snake Sannin greeted him with a smile that made him recoil. The two of them had never seen eye-to-eye due to their past history, so the blonde had been weary of him (and still was). "Have you come to join the damned?"

"What are you talking about? Where the hell are we?" He asked, looking around.

"This…this is where those who are damned go in death." He answered, looking around as well.

"I guess I can I understand why _you're_ here. But I don't why I'm here."

"Are you sure?" He asked with a smirk. "I would've thought you would be damned for failing to save all of those people that Obito killed."

That was a low point for him. He still felt guilty for letting those people die, but he kept telling himself that it wouldn't happen again. In the end, his words came true. "I don't consider myself to be damned because of that. And I'm not dead."

"Are you so sure about that? You seemed to be joining us momentarily." He looked down at Naruto's feet. The blonde followed his gaze and saw that his feet were on fire. Before he could put the fire out, he was engulfed in a bonfire. Pain blinded all of his senses as he burned. As Orochimaru faded away, he could only scream.

* * *

He came awake with a shout, trying to free himself from what felt like some kind of cloth prison. When gravity took effect and he almost fell down to the ground (which he stopped by using his hands), he remembered that he had been sleeping in a hammock. When he had first seen the sleeper pods that the crew used, the first words out of his mouth were "Fuck no." He then proceeded to make his way down to the storage area of the ship, unsealed a hammock and some rope (he told the confused onlookers that Jiraiya had all but beaten the lesson of "You never know when you're going to need it" into his brain during their trip), and proceeded to set it up.

As he calmed down, he slowly lowered himself from the hammock. When he finally got his legs out of the hammock, he just laid there on the floor, letting it cool him off. It had been two days since he had left Thessia in the _Normandy_. They had made a stop at Arcturus (which he stayed on board while they were there) and now they were officially starting the "shakedown run" of the ship (he wasn't really sure what that was and he didn't bother to ask anyone). Of course, he had also said goodbye to Neji and his family.

(Flashback)

He stood before the _Normandy_, taking a good long look at it. "So, I'm going to be riding in this." He asked Neji, who stood next to him along with Hanabi and Liesia. It had only been a day since the exercise with the Asari Commandos. Since Hackett had cleared him for duty, he was joining the _Normandy_ and leaving Thessia.

"What's the matter, Naruto?" Hanabi asked him. "You've been staying in the _Everest_ for the past two weeks."

"I know that, Hanabi. But I'm still getting used to the idea about a ship that can fly through space."

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it in no time." Neji assured him.

"I hope so." They stood in silence for a few minutes. "…Well, I should probably get going." He finally said.

"Bye, Naruto. I'm gonna miss you." Hanabi told him sadly. She had grown to like the blonde and didn't really want him to go. But she also knew that he was a shinobi. There were times that he had to go and this would be one of them.

"I'm going to miss you too, kid." He smiled down at her. "I want you to promise me that you're gonna be the best shinobi that has ever come out of the Academy."

"Yes sir!" She threw him a salute and he returned it with a grin.

"Neji, thanks for helping me out with the modern time." He told Hanabi's father, dropping the salute as he turned to face the Hyuuga.

"It was my pleasure, Lord Naruto." He replied with a small smirk. He knew that calling the blonde a lord was guaranteed to make him annoyed.

"Don't call me a lord." Sure enough, there was the annoyed retort. The two of them stared at each other for a quiet moment, before the blonde smiled. "I hope I'll see you and your family again."

"We hope for the same." Liesia told him, a gentle smile on her lips. "Good luck, Naruto."

"Thank you, Liesia. But I don't need luck, it comes naturally." He turned back to look at the ship. "I guess I better get on it before they come looking for me or something." With a wave goodbye, he left the family and walked towards the hatch of the _Normandy_.

(End Flashback)

"Uh…sir, are you okay?" A nearby engineer, a Frontiersman, asked him, bringing him out of his musings.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just had a weird dream that's all." He told him as he sat up and stretched a little. Having slept only in his underwear and shades, he was giving the surrounding people a little bit of a show.

"Um…about what, sir?" asked the engineer, trying to keep the conversation going. He was straight, but even he had to admit that the blonde was nicely developed.

"Nothing really, I just met Orochimaru in a ruined forest." He paused for a moment and looked over at the engineer. "Not to be rude, but you do know who Orochimaru is, right?"

"Yes sir, I do. He was one of the most evil and vile shinobi to have ever been trained. He was a part of the first generation of the Densetsu no Sannin until he went rogue and fled from the village."

"Yeah, that was the snake bastard in a nutshell. That just makes the way he died even weirder." He mentioned with a slight scowl.

"Didn't he die after a massive manhunt and battle?" The engineer asked. He had only the one class of Shinobi history when he was in high school, so he wasn't aware of everything that had happened.

"No. He died saving his granddaughter." The very concept of Orochimaru having a child let alone a grandchild was baffling and a little weird. When they had reached the town the Snake Sannin had hidden his child's family, he was already there trying to get his granddaughter away (as the rest of her family had already been killed). That was the first time any of them had seen Obito descend from the sky when watching a place burn. He chased after Orochimaru through the burning streets. He didn't kill him out right; he just toyed with the Snake Sannin. By the time he had gotten bored and left, Orochimaru was close to death. He all but begged Anko to take his granddaughter in (which she did) and said goodbye to Tsunade before breathing his last breath (later, Naruto found her in the Hokage office, drunk and crying over what looked like a photo of her and her teammates after they had made Chūnin. He decided to leave her alone).

"…You're right, sir. That's a little weird for a man like him." The engineer admitted. "But still, he died saving his family. Even an evil man can do that."

"A fact that I have never denied," The blonde told him.

"Hey, Commander Uzumaki," The voice of the pilot, one Jeff "Joker" Moreau rang out over the intercom. The two of them had met when Naruto first came aboard the _Normandy_ and got along quite well with each other. "We're approaching the relay and considering the fact that you slept through the first one, I'd figured you would want a front row seat for this."

"Yeah, thanks, Joker. I'm on my way up." He replied as he grabbed his clothes and put them on with practiced ease. As he made his way over to the elevator, he grabbed an apple and chomped down on it. He finished it off as the elevator slowly went upwards. _"If this thing is really this slow, maybe they should've just put in stairs."_ He thought to himself as he fiddled with the apple core. When the door finally opened, he walked out and tossed the core into a nearby trash disposal.

"The Arcturus Prime Relay is in range." Joker announced over the intercom. "Initiating transmission sequence." Naruto kept walking forward through the command deck, heading to the cockpit as the pilot kept talking. "We are connected. Calculating transit mass and destination. The relay is hot. Acquiring approach vector. All stations secure for transit."

"Hey, guys." The blonde said in greeting as he walked into the cockpit and looked around. He saw Joker in the pilot seat along with a guy called Kaidan Alenko who sat in the co-pilot seat. Nihlus stood behind them and watched in silence.

"Hey, Naruto," Joker greeted him. "Just kick back and watch the show." He turned his attention back to the controls. "Board is green. Approach run has begun."

As he stared out of the window, Naruto was astounded. When he was first taken to the _Everest_ and saw space for the first time out of window, he stared out the window in stunned awe for a good ten minutes. But what hung before them surprised him even more. He didn't even know how to describe it really. All he could really say was that it looked somewhat like a tuning fork with rings revolving around a big blue core of element zero (if he hadn't known that beforehand, he would've thought it was chakra). "Kami, that's impressive." He said aloud. Even though nobody said anything in return, they all silently agreed with him.

"Hitting the relay in 3…2…1…" Joker counted down as he flew the ship closer to the core. An arc of eezo leapt out from the core and struck the _Normandy_. As the ship drew away from the core, the arc vanished and it shot forward so fast that it left a trail in its wake. "Thrusters…check. Navigation…check. Internal emissions sink engaged. All systems online. Drift…just 1500 K." Joker finished up as they sped through space.

"1500 is good. Your captain will be pleased." Nihlus commented before walking away.

"…I hate that guy." He said once he was sure the turian had left the bridge.

"Nihlus gave you a compliment…so you hate him?" Kaidan asked with some small confusion. It sounded like a compliment to him.

"Spectres are trouble. I don't like having him on board. Call me paranoid."

"You're paranoid." He replied in deadpan. "The Council helped fund this project. They have a right to send someone to keep an eye on their investment."

"Yeah, that is the official story. But only an idiot believes the official story."

"He's got a point there." Naruto commented, joining in on the conversation. Kakashi had always told him to look underneath the underneath and what Joker had said was quite similar. Both required a second look.

"So there's more going on here then the captain's letting on." He would've continued had the intercom not beeped.

"Joker! Status report," Anderson's voice ordered through the intercom.

"Just cleared the mass relay, Captain," He automatically answered, quickly double-checking a few things. "Stealth systems engaged. Everything looks solid."

"Good. Find a comm buoy and link us to the network. I want mission reports relayed back to Alliance brass before we reach Eden Prime."

"Aye, aye, Captain. Better brace yourself, sir. I think Nihlus is headed your way."

"He's already here, Lieutenant." A small awkward silence filled the bridge. "Tell Commander Uzumaki to meet me in the comm room for a debriefing." Anderson finished before the intercom beeped off.

"You get that, Commander?" Joker asked Naruto.

"Yeah, I got it." He turned around and began to walk away. After a few steps, he stopped and turned back around with a sheepish look on his face. "At the risk of sounding like an idiot, where's the comm room exactly?" In the two days he had been on the _Normandy_, he mostly kept to the storage area or the mess.

Both Joker and Kaidan shared a look. If it had been anyone else, eye-rolling and sarcasm would've come out in full. "Just go past the stairs and around the wall in the back, you won't miss it." Kaidan instructed him.

"Thanks, Kaidan." He turned back around and kept on walking. As he walked into what the crew called the CIC (when he asked what that stood for, they told him it meant Combat Information Center), he noticed that the ship's medical-nin talking with one of the Genin who looked like he was barely in his twenties.

"I grew up on Eden Prime, Doc." The Genin told her. "It's not the kind of place Spectres visit. There's something Nihlus isn't telling us about this mission."

"That's crazy." The doctor, Naruto believed her name to be Chakwas (she had an attitude that eerily reminded him of Tsunade, albeit with much less booze on hand), replied. "The captain's in charge here. He wouldn't take orders from a Spectre."

"Not his choice, Doc. Spectres don't answer to anyone. They can do whatever they want. Kill anyone who gets in their way."

"Ha! You watch too many spy vids, Jenkins." Dr. Chakwas told him, making him scowl at her for the comment. It was then they had both noticed that Naruto was standing nearby.

"What do you think, Commander?" Jenkins asked him as he saluted. "We won't be staying on Eden Prime too long, will we? I'm itching for some real action!" He said excitingly. Naruto just stared at him. The Genin in front of him sounded exactly like himself back when he was a brand new Genin. In fact, it was a little scary to see the similarities. He could almost see the green on him.

"I sincerely hope you're kidding, Corporal." Dr. Chakwas retorted. "Your 'real action' usually ends with me patching up crew members in the infirmary."

"If you want my advice, Jenkins, just keep a level head while on the mission." Naruto told the Genin. "You do that, you'll be just fine."

"Sorry, Commander," He apologized, though he didn't sound at all apologetic. "But this waiting's killing me. I've never been on a mission like this before. Not one with a Spectre on board!"

"_You and me both," _The blonde thought to himself. He had read up on the Spectre when his clones all but invaded the library. Basically, the Spectres were the galaxy's version of ANBU, which meant they were highly trained, knew when to be silent, and only answered to a few. "Kid, when it comes down to it in a mission, it won't matter if the guy next to you is a Spectre like Nihlus or a Genin like you. What will matter is if you can focus on what needs to be down and be able to do it."

"That's easy for you to say. You're…well, you're _you_." He protested. "This is my big chance. If I can show the brass what I can do, I might become qualified to take the Chūnin Exams!"

"_What the hell is he talking about, qualifying for the Chūnin Exams? I guess that's another I'm going to have to check when I get the chance."_ Naruto said to himself as he placed looking up the Chūnin Exams on his "To-do" list. "I have to go; Captain Anderson is waiting for me." He told the two of them.

"Um, Commander before you go, can I ask you something?" Jenkins asked, suddenly sounding nervous. "Is…is the legend about you true? Are you the Jinchūriki of the Jūbi?"

"Jenkins! You have no right to ask that of Commander Uzumaki!" Dr. Chakwas told him sharply.

"It's alright, Doctor." Naruto assured her. "He's just curious, that's all."

"Well? Are you?" Jenkins asked him again.

The blonde just smiled mysteriously at him. "Something along those lines," He answered before walking past them and into the comm room. As he walked down the ramp, he saw that Nihlus was already there, staring at the screen in front of him. "Hey, Nihlus," He greeted. He hadn't seen the turian in the past two weeks, so he had no idea what he had been up to. Then again, he had spent those two weeks getting back into shape, so he didn't really pay attention to anything else.

"Naruto, I was hoping you'd get here first. It gives us the chance to talk." The Spectre told him, turning away from the screen.

"What do you want to talk about?" He asked, putting his guard slightly up. While the turian hadn't shown any signs that he was going to attack the blonde, one could never be so sure (and with shinobi, that's a promise).

"I'm interested in this world we're going, Eden Prime. Do you know anything about it?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Only what I've overheard from the crew. It's something of paradise, right?"

"Yes…a paradise. Serene. Tranquil. Safe. Eden Prime has become something of a symbol to your people."

"I wouldn't know, Nihlus. I spent the last two thousand years sealed away and drifting in space." He reminded the Spectre.

"It's proof that Humanity can not only establish colonies across the galaxy, but also protect them. But how safe is it, really?"

"I've got a question: why the hell are you asking me all this?" He was a little annoyed. They both knew that he was still getting used to modern times and still didn't know everything that he needed to know. And yet, Nihlus was being redundant by asking him these questions.

"Your people are still newcomers, Naruto, you especially. The galaxy can be a very dangerous place."

"The Academy instructors said the same thing about being a shinobi. That didn't stop me from joining." He retorted. When he heard that, Nihlus couldn't help but smile.

They both heard the sound of the door opening. They turned to see Anderson walked into the room. "I think it's about time we told Naruto what's really going on." He told Nihlus.

The turian nodded in agreement. "This mission is far more than a simple shakedown run." He told Naruto.

"Of course it is." The blonde replied sarcastically. "Why else would we've had that incredibly redundant conversation beforehand?"

"This is serious, Commander." Anderson told him pointedly, using his rank instead of his name to get his attention. "We're making a covert pick-up on Eden Prime. That's why we needed the stealth systems operational."

He had briefly heard about the stealth capabilities of the _Normandy_, but he didn't ask for details. All he knew was that it was the first ship that was apparently able to hide from enemy scanners. "How covert are we talking here?" He asked. In his personal experience, the word "covert" had many definitions.

"This comes down from the top. Information on a strictly need-to-know basis," He clarified. "A research team on Eden Prime unearthed some sort of beacon during an excavation. It was Prothean."

He knew only a few things about the Protheans (they were just one of many things his clones had read up on), so he knew they were a little mythical to the galaxy, having supposedly built the mass relays and the Citadel, the seat of power for the galaxy. "I take it that finding something like this is important?" He asked them.

"The last time Humanity made a discovery like this, it jumped our technology forward two hundred years. But Eden Prime doesn't have the facilities to handle something like this. We need to bring it to the Citadel for proper study." The captain explained to him.

"Obviously this goes beyond human interests, Naruto." Nihlus joined the conversation again. "This discovery could affect every species in Council space. Also, the beacon is not the only reason I'm here."

The blonde looked at the two of them. "I take it this is what the Alliance wants me to do?" He asked Anderson. "Become the galactic version of an ANBU?"

"The Alliance has been pushing for this for a long time." He explained, answering his question. "Humanity wants a larger role in shaping interstellar policy. We want more say with the Citadel Council. The Spectres represent the Council's power and authority. If they accept a human into their ranks, it shows how far the Alliance has come."

"I've put your name forward as a candidate for the Spectres." Nihlus told Naruto. "With your track record, as well as that exercise you had against those Commandos, you'd be a shoe-in. But I need to see your skills for myself. Eden Prime will be the first of many missions together."

"When we get to Eden Prime, you'll be in charge of the ground team." Anderson said. "Secure the beacon and get it onto the ship ASAP. Nihlus will accompany you to observe the mission."

That surprised him a little. While he had been a part of teams before, he had never really led one himself. So he was a little nervous about the idea. But even though he was nervous, he was willing to see if he could do it. "That's fine by me." He told them, keeping his true feelings silent. "What's our ETA?"

"We should be getting close to Eden—" He was cut off when Joker spoke from the intercom.

"Captain! We've got a problem." The pilot told them. His voice had none of its usual sarcasm, it was quite serious.

"What's wrong, Joker?" Anderson asked him.

"Transmission from Eden Prime, sir. You better see this!"

"Bring it up on screen." He ordered, walking over to the screen. Both Nihlus and Naruto turned to look at it as well. The sounds of gunfire and explosions quickly filled their ears. The transmission was incredibly blurry and shaky, even more so after one woman clad in white and pink armor push the person filming to the ground. They saw someone trying to send a call, only to be killed a few seconds later. After a few more seconds of filming, it went to static.

"Everything cuts out after that. No comm traffic at all. Just goes dead. There's nothing." Joker explained.

"Reverse and hold at 38.5." Anderson told him. The transmission went backwards and froze at the exact spot he had ordered. What they saw was large, metal…thing descending from the sky and somehow discharging red lightning.

"I don't know about you guys, but that kinda looks like a giant hand to me." Naruto commented.

"Status report," The captain told Joker.

"Seventeen minutes out, Captain." He promptly answered. "No other Alliance ships in the area."

"Take us in, Joker. Fast and quiet," He ordered. "This mission just got a lot more complicated." He remarked as the intercom beeped off.

"A small strike team can move quickly without drawing attention." Nihlus noted. "It's our best chances to secure the beacon."

"He's right." Naruto agreed. "We should try to keep the people on the team to minimum. I'd say only three, maybe four people."

"Very well, grab your gear and meet us in the cargo hold." Anderson told Nihlus, who nodded and walked away. "Tell Alenko and Jenkins to suit up, Commander." He said to Naruto, facing him. "You're going in."

He saluted and walked away, leaving Anderson alone in the comm room.

* * *

"Engaging stealth systems," Joker announced as they entered the atmosphere of Eden Prime. As he flew the _Normandy_ down out of the sky, he got a closer look at the ground beneath them. "Somebody was doing some serious digging here, Captain." He commented.

"Thank you, Joker." Anderson replied before turning to face Naruto and his squad. Both Jenkins and Kaidan had their armor on as well as their weapons. Naruto had just attached a comm device in his left ear, so he could easily communicate with teammates, Nihlus, and the ship. "Your team's the muscle in this operation, Commander." Anderson told the blonde. "Go in heavy and head for the dig site."

"What about survivors, Captain?" Kaidan asked.

"Helping survivors is a secondary objective. The beacon is your top priority." He answered a little curtly.

"Approaching drop point one." Joker announced as the cargo bay door opened, filling their ears with the howling of the wind.

"Nihlus? You're coming with us?" Jenkins asked the turian, who was standing nearby, checking his weapons.

He shook his head. "I move faster on my own." He told them before taking a running leap out of the ship.

"Nihlus will scout out ahead." Anderson told them. "He'll feed you status reports throughout the mission; otherwise, I want radio silence."

"He still needs someone to watch his back." Naruto said, folding his hands into a handseal. **"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"** A clone appeared at his side with a poof of smoke. Without saying a word, the clone leapt out after Nihlus. "He'll be able to see how a clone can helpful in this kind of situation." He told Anderson.

The captain nodded once in agreement. "The mission's yours now, Naruto. Good luck." The blonde held his tongue about not needing luck, figuring it wasn't the time for that kind of thing.

"We are approaching drop point two." Joker stated over the intercom. As the _Normandy_ settled into a brief hover, Naruto took the initiative and leapt out of the ship. Both Kaidan and Jenkins were right behind him.

The minute they had hit the ground, Naruto was alert and the other two had weapons out and ready. "Ship perimeter secured, Commander!" Kaidan told him after they made a quick check.

"_Right, I'm the team leader."_ Naruto reminded himself. He still wasn't used to the feeling. "Alright, let's move." He started moving and the other two fell in behind him. The field they were moving through was encompassed by both trees and high rocks. Several small clusters of rocks littered the field which would give them good cover if they needed it.

As they moved, they saw a couple of creatures floating nearby. "What the hell are those?" Kaidan demanded, pointing his gun at them.

"Gas Bags," Jenkins answered. "Don't worry, they're harmless." He said with a small grin directed at the biotic in the group, who returned it with a scowl.

"This place got hit hard, Commander." Nihlus told him through the comm. "Hostiles everywhere. Keep your guard up."

"Understood," He replied. "Is my clone with you?"

"Yes, he is currently following my lead."

"Good. If you find something that you think I need to see for myself, let him know. He'll know what to do."

"If you say so," The turian said before turning off the comm. Naruto heard the disbelief in his voice, so odds are he wouldn't tell the clone. But as long as the clone kept by his side, that was fine by him.

They kept to the path, ignoring the water besides them. They could hear the sounds of a battle off in the distance, so they tried to make their way there. "Oh, god," Jenkins said in horror as they passed two corpses that were burned to a crisp laying on a nearby rock.

"_Must be his first time seeing a burnt body."_ Naruto thought to himself. While he had also taken notice of the bodies, he wasn't as horrified. He had seen one too many during the war, so he had unfortunately gotten use to the sight. "You'll have to get used to the sight, Genin." He told Jenkins shorty. "You'll probably be seeing more."

He winced slightly at the thought, but nodded his head. "Yes sir." He replied.

They passed two more dead bodies before entering another field riddled with rocks. As they moved through it, Naruto suddenly stopped. "Wait." He said, holding his hand up.

"What's wrong, Commander?" Kaidan asked him.

"I don't know. Something just doesn't feel right, it's too quiet." They should've encountered something other than just Gas Bags, but so far, nothing.

"I'll scout ahead, sir." Jenkins said, trying to make up for the bodies. Before either the blonde or the biotic could stop him, he moved forward. As he moved further through the field, three floating machines appeared from the other end and opened fire on him. He gave one last strangled shout before falling down to the ground. In Naruto's HUD, Jenkins's heart flat-lined, proclaiming his death.

As the machines turned their attention to the other two humans, they quickly dove for cover. The sound of the machines firing filled the air. While Kaidan stepped enough out of cover to return fire, Naruto pulled out a few shuriken. "Their shields are gone, sir!" Kaidan informed as he stepped back into cover. The blonde nodded, stood up, and expertly threw each of the shuriken at the machines, making them explode on impact.

They silently stepped out from behind the rocks and approached Jenkins's body. "Ripped right through his shields," Kaidan stated after he closed Jenkins's eyes. "He never had a chance."

"_Damn it to Kami and back!"_ Naruto mentally swore. _"I should've stopped him! He wouldn't be dead if I had told him to stop and wait!"_ While he was berating himself for the death of teammate (his first time as a team leader and he lost someone, what did that say about his capabilities?), he also knew that they couldn't spend time mourning him. "He'll get a proper burial when we're done here, Kaidan. But we have to focus." He told the biotic.

"Aye, aye, sir," He replied automatically.

They approached the other end of the field when more machines showed up. "Incoming drones!" shouted Kaidan. Due to the warning, they weren't caught off guard and were quickly able to destroy the drones. They both felt a small amount of satisfaction as they watch the machines explode.

"I've got some burned out buildings here, Naruto." Nihlus spoke through the comm. "A lot of bodies. I'm going to check it out. I'll try to catch up to you at the dig site." The comm beeped off before the blonde could respond.

They passed under a couple of trees before ending up on the top of a hill. Below them, they saw one of the soldiers from the transmission (the one who wore the pink and white armor) running away from drones that were firing at her. "We need to get down there now!" Naruto said as she stumbled and fell to the ground. As he and Kaidan bolted down the hill, she turned around, pulled out her pistol and opened fire on the drones, causing them to explode.

"I think she's okay, Commander." Kaidan remarked. Before Naruto could replied, their attention was distracted by a pair of humanoid robots (at least the blonde hoped they were robots) holding a human civilian over something. A white spike suddenly jutted upwards from beneath the civilian, skewing the civilian on it. Their job done, the two robots turned their attention back to the woman, who had hidden behind a cluster of rocks and held her assault rifle in hand.

Both Naruto and Kaidan reached the bottom of the hill and joined the woman behind the cluster. The robots opened fire, hoping to get hit the humans through the cluster as they slowly approached. "Kaidan, you and the lady give me some cover fire." The blonde ordered.

"What are you going to do?" He asked.

"I'm getting up close and personal." He quickly made a clone and the two charged out of the cluster and at the two robots, keeping low. Both Kaidan and the woman distracted the robots, Kaidan using his biotics, and the woman using her gun. The robots were halted by the attack. They returned fire, but didn't realize that Naruto and his clone had gotten close to them. In unison, they swept the legs out from underneath them, whipped a kunai and plunged it into the chest-piece while also using the other hand to smash the headpiece.

"Thanks for the help." The woman said as he dispelled the blonde and stood back up. "I didn't think I was going to make it. Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams of the 212," She introduced herself, saluting. "You the one in charge here, sir?"

"Jōnin Naruto Uzumaki, of the _Normandy_," He returned the salute. "Are you wounded, Williams?"

"Naruto Uzumaki? You're kidding me, right?" She asked with a small frown. She didn't have time for someone to play games with her.

"Are you wounded, Chūnin?" He repeated in the same tone of voice, using her rank instead of her name. Even though he sounded exactly the same, something told her that if she didn't answer both promptly and correctly, bad things would happen.

"A few scrapes and burns. Nothing serious," She told him. "The others weren't so lucky."

"What happened?"

She took a deep breath. "We were patrolling the perimeter when the attack hit." She pointed over to the spot where they were attacked. "We tried to get off a distress call, but they cut off our communications. I've been fighting for my life ever since."

"You're the only one who survived?"

"We tried to double back to the beacon, but we walked straight into an ambush. As far as I know, I'm the only who survived."

"Do you have any idea about what we're fighting?" Any information he could get about the enemy was good for them.

"I think they're geth." She answered honestly. The word rang faintly in his mind, something one of his clones had read about an uprising. The book didn't have any pictures that went with it, so all he had until now was the word.

"The geth haven't been seen outside the Veil in nearly two hundred years." Kaidan protested. "So why are they here now?"

"They must've come for the beacon." She answered. "The dig site is close. Just over that rise," She pointed at said rise. "It might still be there."

"Lead the way, Ash." Naruto ordered, shortening her name. Ashley sounded like a bit of a mouthful to him and Ash sounded a lot smoother.

"Aye, aye, sir," She replied, not battering an eye at the name shortening. "The beacon is at the far end of this trench." She told them as they began making their way forward. They passed the civilian who was skewered on a spike as well as a few others. While no one said anything, they all felt a bit unnerved by them.

They entered the trench, moving from rock cluster to rock cluster, keeping cover. As they came near the other end of the trench, the dig site came into view. However, that wasn't the only thing that was coming into view. "Find cover." The blonde ordered. "My radar is saying we've got a lot of enemy signals coming our way." He told them as they duck down behind a rock cluster. Sure enough, the bullets started to fly.

"Don't worry, Commander." Ashley told him as she put her gun away. "I got this." She flashed through a few handseals and stood up. **"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu **(Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu)**!"** A giant fireball spilled forth from her mouth and sailed through the geth, incinerating them. "Okay, they're all gone now." She announced after the fireball disappeared.

The two men stood up. "Wow. That's…impressive." Kaidan complemented her as he looked at the destruction in front of them. A lot of geth were burned beyond belief. It honestly looked like someone had tried to melt down a large group of metal statues and managed to get half way done.

"It's very well done." Naruto told her. "However…" His hand blurred as he pulled out a kunai and threw it underhanded at the nearby entrance to the dig site, letting it ricochet off the wall and hit the geth that was hiding on the other side. "You missed one." He remarked as the geth fell to the ground, the kunai lodged in the photoreceptor.

"Show off." Ashley muttered to herself as they entered the dig site.

"What was that?" He asked her without turning to face her, leaning down to pull out the kunai.

"Nothing," She replied. As she looked around, she frowned. "This is the dig site. The beacon was right here."

"Well, it's not here anymore." He replied sarcastically.

"I figured that one out myself." She replied with equal sarcasm. "It must have been moved."

"By who?" Kaidan asked. "Our side? Or the geth?"

"That's hard to say." She admitted. "Maybe we'll learn more after we check out the research camp."

"This spot is practically perfect for an ambush." Naruto noted as he looked around the dig site. The site was hemmed in by a ridge that climbed upwards via a natural ramp and a rock wall. There were only two entrances, the way they came in and the ridge. "Do you think anyone survived?" He asked her. If the entrances were blocked off, the chances of getting out alive didn't seem high to him.

"Maybe if they were lucky," She answered, looking around. "If I had to guess, they might try hiding in the camp. It's just on the top of this ridge. Up the ramps," She explained, pointing at the ramp.

"Lead the way." She nodded in acknowledgement and took the lead, leading them up the ramp and out of the dig site.

"Change of plans, Naruto." Nihlus told him through the comm. "There's a small space station up ahead. I want to check it out. I'll wait for you there."

"Right," He replied. "Also, Nihlus, the beacon has been moved. We're in the process of finding its location. I'll radio you once we've found out where it is."

"Got it," The turian replied before the comm beeped off.

As they climbed up the ramp, they saw the trail of smoke coming out of one of the buildings. "Looks like they hit the camp hard," Ashley noted as they came into view of the camp.

"It's a good place for an ambush. Keep your guard up." Kaidan warned.

Naruto didn't reply, he was too busy looking at the three spikes that had what looked to be blackened corpses skewed on them. "Ash…are those the civilians who working at the dig site?" He asked her, not taking his eyes off of the spikes.

Before she answered, one of the corpses raised its head and moaned. "They're still alive?!" The biotic among them asked in shock. The spikes retracted themselves, lowering the corpses until they were able to touch the ground themselves. They stood up, looked over at the three living humans, and rapidly approached them. Kaidan used his biotics to push them back easily, but it didn't slow them down. It just made the distance between the two groups wider.

"What have the geth done to them?" Ashley demanded as she opened fire on the corpse on the left. It went down within a few moments, like it was an inanimate object and not a former human being.

"I don't know and I don't want to have a first-hand experience!" Naruto replied as he flipped through handseals and inhaled. **"Fūton: Renkūdan **(Wind Style: Drilling Air Bullet)**!"** He spat out two air bullets at the remaining corpses, taking their heads off and sending them toppling backwards.

"That's all of them, Commander." Kaidan announced.

"Spread out, see if you can find anything that indicates survivors are still around." The blonde ordered. They quickly searched the ruined camp, inspecting every part of it.

"Commander, this door is closed." Ashley announced as she stood in front of one of the two buildings still standing. "The security lock's engaged."

"Can you open it?" He asked her as he and Kaidan joined her.

"No, the code's been changed." She replied with a shake of her head.

"Let me take care of it." Kaidan said, stepping up to the lock, his omni-tool appearing. "I've got some training with hacking. Just give me a minute…and…there." He declared triumphantly as the color on the lock changed from red to green.

As the door opened, they stepped through, preparing for a fight. Instead, they found two humans inside. "Humans!" cried the woman with relief. "Thank the Sage!"

"Hurry! Close the door!" The man beside her urged Naruto. "Before they come back!"

"There's no need to worry." He assured the two of them. "We're not here to harm or kill you." While someone else might think that those two words meant the same thing, in his experience it was the complete opposite.

"Thank you. I think we'll be okay now." The woman told him.

"Wait, you're Dr. Warren, the one in charge of the excavation." Ashley said in realization. "Do you know what happened to the beacon?"

"It was moved to the spaceport this morning." The doctor answered her question. "Manuel and I stayed behind to help pack up the camp." She gestured over to the man when she said his name. "When the attack, the samurai protecting us held them off long enough for us to hide," She grew mournful at the memories. "They gave their lives to save us."

"No one is saved." Manuel told her, his voice sounding slightly unhinged. "The age of Humanity is ended. Soon, only ruin and corpses will remain."

"Uh…is he okay?" Naruto asked her, jerking his head at her assistant.

"Manuel has a brilliant mind, but he's always been a bit…unstable." She explained. "Genius and madness are two sides of the same coin.

"_Don't I know it,"_ He thought darkly to himself, remembering the dream he had of Orochimaru.

"Is it madness to see the future? To see the destruction rushing towards us? To understand there is no escape? No hope? No, I'm not mad. I'm the only sane one left!" Manuel continued to rant.

"I gave him an extra dose of his meds after the attack." Dr. Warren told the blonde in way of apology.

"_That's not going to help him much."_ He had seen that same kind of look Manuel had on his face on many others before. It was the look of utter hopelessness people who had survived Obito's attack on their village (whether by his own doing or by someone who followed him) wore. The look said it all for them, that it was completely hopeless to try and fight against Obito, that it was like an ant trying to fight someone who could easily crush them with his foot(to which Shikamaru always had a brilliant answer for, "Have you ever seen what a swarm of angry killer ants will do to a person?"). "Will you two be safe here?" He asked Dr. Warren.

"Yes, of course we will." She answered.

"That's good to know, but just in case, I'm going to leave behind a clone." He quickly created said clone, who then stepped outside. "He'll keep an eye outside for you." He turned to face Ashley. "Can you take us to the spaceport?" He asked her.

"Yes, I can." She answered without any hesitation.

"You can't stop it. Nobody can stop it. Night is falling. The darkness of eternity," Manuel ranted.

"Hush, Manuel." Dr. Warren ordered him. "Go lie down. You'll feel better when the medication kicks in." She faced the others. "I'm sorry about all that."

"It's okay." Naruto assured her. "We'll leave now. Remember, there's a clone outside who'll protect you until more help comes. Stay inside, and keep the door closed." He walked out of the building and the other two members of his team followed. As the door closed behind them, he exchanged a nod with clone and proceeded to move to the trail that led away from both the dig site and the camp. As they moved, he pressed his finger against the comm, activating it. "Nihlus, we found Dr. Warren of the excavation team. According to her, the beacon was moved to the spaceport this morning. We're on our way there."

* * *

"Acknowledged, your clone and I will hold down and meet you there. We'll go on together to retrieve the beacon from there." Nihlus replied before disconnecting the comm. Both he and the clone were approaching the entrance to the spaceport from the forest, just a little ways ahead of Naruto and his team. As they got closer, the Spectre saw that someone was standing in the open at the entry of the spaceport. He motioned the clone to duck behind cover. They crouched behind a low wall and waited. When Nihlus was ready, he moved out of cover and lifted his gun, ready to fire. But when he saw who it was, he lowered the gun. "Saren?" He asked in surprise. The clone stood up from behind the wall and joined Nihlus.

The person in question turned around to face them. He was a turian, but he didn't have the tattoos on his face like Nihlus did and had also had a horn-like feature on each side of his face that were elongated as they extended backwards as well as on the top of his head. Probably the most obvious thing about him was the fact that his left arm wasn't even his, it was an artificial one. "Nihlus," He greeted the Spectre, his voice cool and calm. "Who is this?" He pointed at the clone.

"Jōnin Naruto Uzumaki, Spectre candidate." The cloned introduced himself, pretending to actually be Naruto. "Nihlus is observing me."

"I see. That does seem appropriate, seeing as how Nihlus believes your species has potential." He commented, making it sound like it wasn't a good thing.

"Um…thanks, I think." He looked over at Nihlus. "Who exactly is this guy?"

"This is Saren Arterius, another Spectre and my former mentor, or sensei in your language." He explained.

"So we can trust him?"

"Yes, but…" He turned to face his former mentor. "This isn't your mission, Saren. What are you doing here?" He asked as he took his supporting hand off his gun.

"The Council thought you could use some help on this one. Plus, now I want to see how the candidate behaves while on a mission." Saren answered as he walked past him, placing a brief reassuring hand on his shoulder.

The clone heard a noise over to the side. "What was that?" He asked, looking over to where the noise came from.

"Go check it out." Nihlus ordered. He nodded and began moving towards the location of the noise. "I wasn't expecting the geth here." The turian Spectre remarked as he looked around. "The situation's bad."

"Don't worry." Saren said calmly as he turned around and raised his pistol. "I've got it under control."

* * *

Codex Entry (Humanity and the Systems Alliance): THE MOUNTAIN

_The landmass on Earth known as the Mountain is actually somewhat of a misdemeanor. It is not, as the name would suggest, a mountain that stands in the middle of the ocean. Rather, it is a continent where it's most dominating feature is an incredibly large mountain._

_The Mountain (or Everest in the local tongue) is the Earth's largest and highest mountain. It is often said (and proven true many times) that you could walk through the entire continent and you would never lose sight of it. The land surrounding the Mountain is capable of supporting life, though the higher one goes, the less likely that'll be._

_The people who hail from this continent (often call the People-from-the-Mountain, due to the fact that when outside civilization first encountered them, they didn't have a name for themselves) are usually farmers or herders. In ancient times, they would rarely travel and only if they needed to. Today, the only major city on the continent would the port city (which is called the Port by both the locals and the rest of Humanity) on the eastern shore. Most trade that comes to the continent comes from there._

_The People-from-the-Mountain has had no ruling class since people started living on the continent. However, they technically live in a theocracy as they listen to the Monks-of-the-Mountain. The monks often live higher up on the mountain then the rest of the people, living in temples and monasteries. Because they usually cannot grow food from where they live, they are given food from the locals who live beneath them. _

_According to the monks, the Mountain is the spiritual center of the Earth. They say that a man once came to the Mountain and prayed to Kami at its base, seeking guidance. He then began to climb the Mountain, offering the same prayer every night he spent on its slopes. When he reached the peak, he fell to his knees and offered the prayer one last time. According to legend, Kami answered his last prayer and blessed him with enlightenment. He descended from the Mountain and began to spread knowledge of what he learned (See: Followers of the Enlightened Path). Years later, his followers built the first temple on the Mountain on the spot where he first prayed to Kami (to this day, it is only the temple that is at the base of the Mountain). It is said that he is buried underneath the temple and only the head priest knows where it is._

_The first outsiders who to have come ashore were both from Midgard and the Frontier, about forty years after the War of Three Flags. It was a collaboration exploring mission to see if there were any more lands out there. Even though it had been a long time since the war, the Human Alliance didn't want another war like that occurring again. So they approached the Mountain in peace, which the locals received with open arms. After a few months, the People-from-the-Mountain officially joined the Human Alliance, with a special position. The Mountain was deemed neutral territory and any attacks on it would be seen as a war crime. The monks also declared that the peak was a holy place and if someone wanted to climb it, they must first receive permission from the head monk. _

* * *

**End**

**Author's note:** Thank you for all the reviews you've sent me.

Yes, I'm bringing the dreams from the third game in earlier. I have an idea for that thing that would be around for the long run and I think I can make it work. As for Orochimaru, let's face it, he deserves to be there.

That being said, I know it's probably weird for Orochimaru to have a family, much less trying to save said family and die because of it. But the way the manga is going, it honestly looks like he's going to die on a high note trying to defeat Obito and Madara. The way I had it figured was you might as well give it to him off screen. And who else would he entrust his granddaughter to?

If people didn't like how I wrote the scenes on Eden Prime, you're going to have bear with me on this. I've never tried to write a story based on a game before (Digimon doesn't count as I was basing that one off of the anime), so it'll probably be a little while longer until I figure it out. It should become easier as I keep writing, so we'll see what happens.

I'll see you all next chapter!


	8. This is completely FUBAR

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Mass Effect.

Misplaced

Chapter 8: This is completely FUBAR

"Talking"

"_Thinking"_

"**Biju/VI/Geth/Reaper talking"**

"_**Biju/VI/Geth/Reaper thinking"**_

Reading/ News/Intercom

(Location: Naruto's team)

They moved through the trail, keeping an eye out and weapons ready. "How far away are we from the spaceport, Ash?" Naruto asked the Chūnin as they stopped at the edge of a forest. The trees loomed over them, like they were giants watching silently.

"It's just beyond these woods." She answered. "If we hurry through it, we'll reach it in maybe ten, fifteen minutes." She eyed the forest. "That is, if we move at a pace Kaidan can keep up with."

"If you're worry about me falling behind on you two shinobi, don't worry." The biotic in question replied. "I'll be able to handle myself…" He trailed off as he looked upwards. "What the hell is that?" He demanded.

"What? What is it?" Naruto as he and Ashley looked in the same direction. Above the tree line, an enormous metallic-colored ship rose up. It took him a moment, but the blonde recognized that it was the same ship he had seen back on the _Normandy_. _"Well, at least I know it's not a hand."_ He thought to himself. He suddenly went completely still as a bunch of memories entered his brain.

"I think it's a ship. I mean, just look at the size of it!" Ashley said in stunned wondered. They could hear the thing rising higher up in the planet's atmosphere, the hum of it somehow filling their ears. "Does anyone know the make of it?"

"No, it doesn't look like any ship I've ever seen." Kaidan admitted.

"What about you, Commander?" She asked, looking over at Naruto, who just stared off into the distance. "Commander?" She asked again as the hum and the ship disappeared.

"…We need to move." He finally spoke. Before either of them could ask him what he was talking about, they heard familiar sounds.

"That's gunfire and it's coming…from the spaceport." Ashley said, realization dawning on her face.

"We need to move _now_!" He leapt for the trees and took off. Ashley went after him with no hesitation, leaving Kaidan alone at the edge of the forest.

"I had to open my mouth." He grumbled, before taking off in a sprint. Whenever he had a straight line of sight in the forest, he would use his biotics to gain ground on the shinobi who raced through the branches.

As he raced through the trees, Naruto was hoping to no end that they weren't too late. _"Please don't let me be late."_ He silently prayed. _"Let me get there in time. I'm not going to lose someone else on this mission!"_

"We're almost there, Commander!" Ashley told him as she followed behind him. She still wasn't sure if he was the actual Naruto Uzumaki. But if he was, then his skill with the **Kage Bunshin** was legendary. If he received memoires from a clone that made him be in this much of a hurry, something must not be good.

"Is Kaidan behind us?" The blonde asked her, not looking back.

"Yes, sir, he is." She answered, having heard the noticeable noise of someone using a biotic charge. "He's keeping up." They stopped at the other end of the forest and leapt down to the ground. They could see the spaceport from the top of the slope they stood on. Construction debris and rocks lay scattered on the slope, preventing them from running straight down it.

Kaidan run out of the forest a few seconds after them. "I'm here, Commander." He announced, panting to slightly to get his breath back. "Just give me a moment to catch my breath. It's kinda exhausting to keep up with people going at shinobi speed."

"We don't have a moment." Naruto told him. The same zombie-like creatures they had encountered at the camp were now making their way to the entrance of the spaceport in a small horde. Their target was apparently a body that lay on the ground in the spaceport, a turian body. The blonde let out a curse and charged down the slope.

"Let's move!" Ashley told Kaidan, who had managed to get his breath back. They pulled out their guns and ran after the blonde, opening fire on the creatures. As the bullets flew through and struck them, the creatures turned their attention towards the humans. Some were killed by the bullets (one or two were killed by biotics from Kaidan or jutsu from Ashley), but the majority of them were destroyed by Naruto.

As he raced towards the spaceport, he used whatever method he could to destroy them. It didn't matter if it was kunai, shuriken, or his body. He didn't use any jutsu, mostly due to the fact that he didn't want to cause any more damage than necessary. Once they realized the incoming threat, the creatures turned around and converged on him. They couldn't easily surround him, mostly due to Ashley's and Kaidan's supporting fire.

Naruto began to grow impatient and worried as he tried to fight his way out of the horde of creatures. _"How much longer is this going to take?"_ He thought angrily. The anger made him strike harder, swing faster, and kill more quickly, trying to get through. For a brief moment, he had lost his sense of direction and was facing the other way. He quickly reoriented himself and cleared the path to the spaceport, breaking clear of the creatures as Ashley and Kaidan cleaned up.

As he sprinted up the steps, he saw one last creature standing over the body. It was bigger and bulker then the others. The fact that it ignored him as a threat and focused on its objective must've meant it was the leader of the horde (if that was even the right terminology). It moaned as it reached down to either grab or piece the body. "Oh no, you don't!" He growled as he grabbed the creature and yanked it away, making it stumble back towards the steps. With speed that only came from years of experience, he made a clone and then held out his hand. When the sound of the all-too-familiar jutsu filled his ears, he dismissed the clone and charged at the creature. **"Rasengan **(Spiraling Sphere)**!" **He slammed the jutsu into the creature's head, making it fly off as the body collapsed.

The head flew through the air and landed in front of Ashley and Kaidan. "That…that was the **Rasengan**." Ashley said in stunned wonder. "But it's one of the Lost Jutsus. Nobody since the Fourth Shinobi World War has known how to use it."

"Well, that used to be true." Kaidan remarked.

"So he really is…"

"Yep."

"This isn't a joke?"

"Nope."

"The two of you should be doing less talking and more getting up here!" Naruto barked at them as he raced back over to the body and knelt down beside it.

They both jumped a little in surprise but quickly obey his order. They ran up the steps and joined the blonde by the body. "It's Nihlus!" Kaidan said in surprise. The turian had obviously just been in a battle and had been on the losing side. While it looked like his armor had taken the most of the bullets, a few had actually hit the turian, causing him to leak trickles of blood.

"I can see that." Naruto replied sarcastically. He pulled a scroll and quickly opened it, releasing the pack of bandages sealed inside. _"Kami, I hope this will work."_ He silently prayed as he bandaged the wounds. Before he had been sealed, he had learned how to dress a wound while on the battlefield (mostly because both Sakura and Tsunade told him it was important to know and kept throwing things at his head every time his attention wandered), but he had never done it on an alien body, much less a turian. He could only hope not to make it worse.

"He's still alive?" Ashley asked in surprise. She had thought that the turian was dead.

"Do you think I'm bandaging his wounds for the hell of it?" He asked her. Before she could answer, a nearby crate fell down, revealing a cowering human.

"Don't shoot! I'm human! I'm one of you!" He hurriedly assured them when Ashley and Kaidan swung around and pointed their guns at him. His eyes almost bulged out of their sockets when he saw who was tending to Nihlus. "Wait a moment, you were with him!" He cried, pointing at the Spectre. "You were here when that other turian guy started shooting!"

"What are you talking about?" Kaidan asked, very confused. "What other turian guy?"

"Start from the top." Ashley ordered.

"Okay, okay, look. The other turian got here first." He began explaining. "He was waiting when these two showed up." He pointed over at Naruto and Nihlus. "The turian seemed to know who he was. He called him Saren. He relaxed a little after telling the blonde over there who he was. Then once the blonde was about to come over here…Saren opened fire. He shot the blonde in the back. When he disappeared in smoke, I think Saren was surprised. Your turian friend looked surprised too, but he reacted more quickly and returned fire on Saren. They had a short gunfight, but it looked like Saren won when the other turian collapsed."

"What happened after that?" Naruto asked him, having finishing bandaging the wounds and standing up.

"Saren left him for dead and jumped onto the cargo train, heading over to the other platform. Probably going after the beacon," He sighed heavily. "That thing has been trouble since the moment it was dug out of the ground. First that Inventor-damned mother ship showed up. Then the attack came. They killed everyone. Everyone! If I hadn't been behind the crate I'd be dead too!"

"Why didn't anyone else try to hide behind the crates?" The blonde asked him with suspicion. It seemed to be easy to be a coincidence that he was already behind them when the attack happened.

"They never had a chance. I…I was already behind the crates when the attack started." He admitted with a slightly ashamed look.

"Wait a minute." Kaidan interrupted him. "Why were you already behind them?"

"I…sometimes I need a nap to get through my shift. I sneak off behind the crates to grab forty winks where the supervisor can't find me."

"You survived because you were lazy?" Ashley demanded in outrage. It was unthinkable to her to sneak away from any job given to her.

"If he hadn't, we wouldn't know where this Saren guy had gone to, so it's lucky for us." The biotic in the group told her.

They all heard a small gasp of air behind them. They all turned around and saw that Nihlus was breathing, albeit with some difficulty. "Nihlus, how're you holding up?" Naruto asked him as he knelt back down next to the turian.

"…Been…better." He admitted in small gasps.

"Alright, just hold on. We're going to contact the _Normandy_ and get you onboard." The blonde surprised both Kaidan and Ashley with that statement.

"No…my life has…secondary priority. Complete…the mission, get…to the…beacon." The Spectre ordered him.

"Like hell I'm going to leave you like this! Stop talking and hold on until the medics get here."

"Get…to the beacon," He repeated more firmly. "That's a…order. Prevent Saren from…getting the…beacon first."

He knew that if they try to argue the point, Nihlus would bleed out and die. "Alright, fine. Just give me a minute." He reached up and activated the comm in his ear. "_Normandy_, this is Jōnin Uzumaki. Nihlus is down and needs immediate medical attention. We're about two miles away from the secondary drop point, at the entrance to the spaceport that leads to the camp and the dig site."

"Acknowledged, Commander," Joker replied. "We'll be there in five minutes."

"You'd better hurry. I don't know anything about turian biology and I don't want Nihlus dying on us." He deactivated the comm and quickly created a clone. "You," He said, pointing at the human, who was still standing behind the crates. "You are going to stand here with my clone and Nihlus until the medics get here. You try to run before that happens; you'll lose your legs. Clear?"

"Perfectly clear, sir," He answered, suddenly scared of the blonde.

"Good." He turned to face the Spectre on the ground. "You're going to be alright, Nihlus. You just need to hold on until the medics get here."

The turian laughed weakly. "Never…thought I'd…hear the…words…myself," He admitted.

"Let's make sure this is the last time, okay?" The blonde replied with a grin before standing up. "Let's get moving." He told Ashley and Kaidan.

"Yes sir!" They responded immediately, falling in behind him. They began to make their way to the cargo train, leaving the human, the clone, and the Spectre alone at the entrance of the spaceport. But as soon as they got closer to the cargo train, trouble appeared.

"Incoming geth!" Kaidan cried out, raising his gun.

"I can see them, thank you!" Naruto replied sarcastically as the geth ran up the ramp leading to the cargo train. "Great, instead of dead creatures, we're back to hostile robots." He muttered to himself as he threw a shuriken at one of the geth.

"I'd rather have the hostile robots, sir." Ashley told him. One of the geth opened fire on them, forcing them to duck behind a couple of crates. As the bullets riddled the crates, she leaned out and took a shot at one of the legs. It blew out, causing the geth to fall down and smash its headpiece against the floor.

"Same here," Kaidan agreed, firing his gun. After disabling one geth's shields, he used his biotics to slam the geth into the wall behind it. It staggered a little, but fell to the ground after Naruto put a well-placed **Renkūdan** in its chest.

As soon as the last geth fell down the ramp, the three quickly moved down it, stepping over the dead robot. But when they touched the bottom, they were forced to back up slightly and keep their heads downs. As the geth on the cargo train tried to punch through the steel plating on the side of the ramp, they were trying to make sure gravity and their own nerves didn't make them move forward.

"Anybody got any ideas to get out of this jam?" The blonde of the team asked. He had yet to try and throw any kunai or shuriken, mostly because there was an almost continuous stream of fire preventing him from standing up and getting a good aim. Apparently, the robots had smarted up and were trying to prevent him from getting a shot at them.

"Don't worry, sir. I've got this." Ashley reached behind her back and pulled out the sniper rifle attached to her weapon rank. She held it in her hands and took a few deep breaths, her head bowed. She quickly stood up and fired off a couple of shots. Judging from the lack of return fire, she had hit her targets.

Deciding not to stay there, the other two quickly stood up and all three of them quickly forward off the ramp and turned right, getting on board the train. It took a grand total of two seconds, which was the exact same amount of time for the remaining geth to compute what had happened. As soon as the three humans had gotten on board, they were fired upon again, forcing them to duck down again. "And here we go again." Kaidan remarked, somewhat sarcastic.

"Less sarcasm, more biotics, please." Ashley told him as she raised the sniper rifle and took a shot. The geth she had aimed for suddenly had one less arm then before.

"Especially since we've got what looks like a more bulky version of a geth coming straight at us." Naruto pointed out as he threw a kunai at said geth. It struck the target in the arm (which was the intended target), but the robot didn't lose functioning of the arm. It just remained imbedded there, like nothing was wrong. "Anytime now would be preferable."

"On it," He replied. As the dark blue fire that showed he was about to use his biotic abilities wreathed his arm, he threw it at the geth in question. It hit the robot right in the middle of its legs and got blown back. It skidded halfway down the length of the train before smashing into the back of one of the chairs.

With quick efficiency, the three humans moved up the train, killing the geth that were in their way. As the last geth tumbled over the railing (courtesy of a bullet from Ashley and a shuriken from Naruto), they approached the front of the train. "Do you guys know how to work this?" The blonde of the group asked the other two as he looked at the controls. "I sure as hell don't."

"Let me take care of it, sir." Ashley told him, walking up to the controls. She tapped a few buttons and the train started to move.

(Location: Saren)

The turian walked hurriedly onto the platform where the beacon was held. _"That blasted human wasn't supposed to be there."_ He mentally growled to himself. He had made the mistake of firing at the blonde human first, only to be surprised when he vanished in smoke. Unfortunately, the shot warned Nihlus, causing both former teacher and former student to fight. It only lasted a couple of minutes and it ended in Saren's victory (as he had expected). He was a little proud of Nihlus, despite the circumstances. He had lasted longer than the last time they had sparred. It was a fleeting moment of emotion, and then he turned to face the nearest geth. "Set the charges. Destroy the colony. Leave no evidence that we were here." He ordered.

"**Acknowledged, Saren-prophet,"** It responded before walking away, disappearing around the corner.

He knew it had to happened, but it still bugged him to destroy an entire colony just because they saw him and the geth. It may have been a human colony, but the fact remained the same. It had to be done, if his plans could even have a chance of succeeding. _"It has to be done."_ He thought to himself as he approached the beacon. _"If the galaxy wants to survive, it has to be done."_ That was the mantra he chanted to himself as the beacon took hold of him.

(Location: Naruto's team)

"Heads up, we're coming to the end of the rail!" Naruto warned the other two as the station came into sight. Both Kaidan and Ashley readied their guns once they heard that piece of information. As they came into the station, they saw a geth pressing buttons on a long cylindrical device. It had noticed them, but wasn't fast to react when Naruto leapt off the train and slammed his knee into the headpiece, driving it into the wall behind them. "That takes care of him." The blonde declared as he landed back on his feet. That was when he noticed the device. "Um…guys? What exactly is this?" He asked the other two there.

"That's a demolition charge!" Kaidan answered in stunned realization. "The geth must've planted them." He quickly checked his omni-tool. "I'm reading…three, no four of them planted in the surrounding area."

"I take it that's bad?" While he had some experience with explosives, it was usually the kind that came in a tag. The thing in front of him looked like it would go off if he touched it wrong. "How big would the explosion be?"

"It's not so much the size of the explosion as it is the placed they've been set." The biotic explained. "The four charges have been set in key positions that would set the entire spaceport off in one big explosion. And if the spaceport goes up, so does the rest of the colony and the planet."

"Okay, boom in spaceport makes bigger boom, bigger boom takes out planet, got it!" He clarified, mostly for himself. "Uh…one of you should probably turn it off now or something, right?" He asked them.

"I got it." Kaidan assured him. He knelt down and tapped a few buttons on the charge. It gave a single beep before the lights dimmed. "There, it's been disabled."

"There's still three others left and the clock is ticking." Ashley reminded them.

"Alright, you two each take one and I'll take the third." The blonde ordered before sprinting up the nearby ramp, leaving the other two behind.

As soon as he cleared the first ramp, the geth on the level above him opened fire. _"Of course there's going to be geth above me."_ He berated himself. _"There's always a protection detail and these guys don't care if their lives are forfeit."_ He threw a kunai at the geth nearest to him, hitting it dead-center in the chest. It was then he remembered that he didn't know how to actually use the demolition charge, much less turn it off! Before he could figure a way out of that problem, he heard his solution come up the ramp. "You guys keep going!" He told Kaidan and Ashley as they came up the ramp without looking at them. "I'll keep them distracted!"

They didn't say anything in response, they just kept moving up the ramp. He slowly followed them from behind. As soon as they reached the same level as the geth, he pushed to the front and kept their attention on him. He kept advancing, even as the other two members of his team moved away to deal with the demolition charges. "How are we doing, people?" He asked into the comm, briefly ducking behind a crate to avoid a bullet that was aim at his head.

"I'm already done, Commander. I'm moving forward to back up Williams." Kaidan answered.

"I need a couple of more seconds, sir. I'm still working on it." Ashley told him.

"Alright, I'll give you those seconds." He came out of cover and charged forward, ducking and weaving through the geth's incoming fire and returning the favoring with kunai and shuriken. He chased them around the nearby corner and down the ramp. At the bottom of the ramp, he found the rest of the geth surrounding the beacon and the last charge, which was set a little ways away from the beacon. "Guys, I've found the beacon and the last charge." He said in the comm as he hid behind the column at the end of the ramp. "Ash, how are we doing with that charge?"

"Almost done, sir," She replied. "We'll be right there once I'm done."

"Send up Kaidan now." He ordered. "I think I'm going to need a little help here."

"I'll be right up, Commander." Kaidan told him.

"Good to hear." He deactivated the comm and peeked around the corner, readying a shuriken. The geth saw him immediately and opened fire at him. He pulled his head back and looked at his surroundings. Seeing an advantage to get the drop on them, he flicked the shuriken at the ground. It hit the ground at a certain angle and ricocheted off of it as well as the wall behind it. It sailed through the air and buried itself in the chest of the lead geth.

He then felt a pat on his shoulder. Taking a quick look back, he saw that it was Kaidan. "Ashley's right behind me." The biotic told him.

"Okay. Then let's get to work." The blonde dived out of cover and into a roll, getting the attention of the geth. He sprang out of the roll with a hail of kunai. Kaidan came out of cover firing at them with his gun and then promptly threw his biotics at them. The three-in-one attack took care of most of the geth that were trying to protect the beacon and the charge. The rest went over the ledge, courtesy of a flying kick from Naruto.

"Nice kick, sir." Ashley complimented as she quickly came down the ramp, joining them. Without preamble, she made her way over to the demolition charge and began the process of deactivating it. After a few tense seconds (which honestly felt longer to them all), she stood back up. "It's deactivated." She announced, making them all heave a sigh of relief.

"Thank Kami for that." Naruto said. "Sorry, guys, I had forgotten that I don't know how to operate modern day machinery, much less a bomb." He was a little embarrassed to have forgotten that little tidbit of information.

"It's not a problem, Commander. We took care of the problem." Kaidan assured him. "…Just out of a sense of curiosity, what would you have done if we hadn't been to deactivate it?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know; probably chuck it over the edge or something like that."

"I…see." He could honestly see the Commander doing something like that. It might've been a little simplistic, but it probably would've worked.

"Now, if you'll excuse me." The blonde walked a little bit away and activated the comm. "_Normandy_, the beacon is secured. Let's get this thing on aboard."

"Acknowledged, Commander," Joker responded. "Nihlus has been brought aboard and is getting medical treatment. ETA is in three minutes."

"Right, got it," He replied. "We'll be waiting." He brought his fingers down away from the comm. "Alright, we'll be sitting tight for three minutes." He announced as he turned around to face the rest of the team. What he was about to say died in his mouth when he saw that Ashley was somehow being dragged towards the beacon, which had lighted up. Without warning, he raced past Kaidan, who had walked up to him to hear the info, and slammed into her, knocking away. Unfortunately, he was now caught in the invisible grip of the beacon. He was lifted off the ground and clench his teeth in pain as his mind was stuffed full of images.

"Commander!" cried Ashley, trying to stand back up and pull him away. However, Kaidan held her back.

"No! Don't touch him! It's too dangerous!" He told her. But even he was worried about the blonde.

As Naruto was held in the grip of the beacon, he was mentally screaming his ears off. _"Stop it! Stop shoving these things into my head!"_ He silently told the beacon. It ignored him and continued to implant image after incomparable image in his mind. _"I don't know what these things mean! Stop putting things I don't know in my head!"_ It still ignored him, putting images that made absolutely no sense to him into his brain. _"Please make it stop! MAKE IT STOP!"_ He all but begged. That seemed to do the trick. A shockwave that emitted from the beacon sent him crashing into the ground, but also blew up the beacon itself in the process.

The last thing the blonde saw before blacking out was Ashley kneeling over him and Kaidan activating his comm. The images stilled raced through his head, even as he slipped into unconsciousness.

(Location: Saren)

As his ship sailed through space, Saren sat at the helm. He wasn't piloting the ship, he didn't need to. He just sat in silence, trying to think clearly. He heard footsteps from behind and someone clearing her voice. "We identified the ship that touched down on Eden Prime." The voice of his closest ally, an asari Matriarch told him as she stood behind the chair. "It was the _Normandy_, a human Alliance vessel. It was under the command of Captain Anderson. They managed to save the colony."

Anderson. That was a name he hadn't heard in a long time and had hoped to never hear again. "And the beacon?" He asked, hoping for some good news.

"One of the humans may have used it." She admitted after a moment's hesitation.

When he heard that, he grew angry. The room glowed red and he stood up and began to smash things nearby, screaming in anger and rage. The Matriarch didn't move a muscle, even when things were flying near her head, until Saren shoved her into a nearby wall, his talons holding her head and ready to pierce into her brain. "This human must be eliminated." He growled after taking a moment to calm down, removing his hands from her head and walking back to the chair.

"Yes, I understand." The Matriarch turned around and walked out of the room, leaving the turian alone.

"_This presents a problem."_ He thought to himself. He knew that if one of the humans had activated the beacon, they would've gotten the same images he had received. But it wouldn't matter in the long run. Once they found out the identity of the human who used the beacon, money would exchange the right hands and it will be dealt with.

(Location: Naruto)

As he came back to consciousness, he could instantly tell that he wasn't on Eden Prime anymore (the fact that he was looking at a metal ceiling instead of a red burning sky tipped him off). "Doctor? Doctor Chakwas? I think he's waking up." Ashley's voice, which sounded somewhat blurry to him, spoke out.

He sat up from the bed he was in and swung his legs over the side. _"Oh, what in the name of Kami happened?"_ He silently asked himself before remembering what happened. _"Right, that happened."_

"You had us worried there, Commander, especially when we couldn't get those shades of yours off." Chakwas said as she walked around the bed to stand in front of the bed.

"That was the idea when I applied the seal to them." He told her. The seal on his sunglasses would only allow him and his chakra to remove them safely. Any other person was more likely to rip their fingers to piece trying to get them off then actually succeed.

"Since that clears up that little mystery, how are you feeling?"

"Like I went five rounds with Lee when he was drunk," He answered honestly. That had actually happened one time and afterwards, the rest of the guys in the Konoha Twelve swore to never let Lee near a bar. "Aside from that, I'm fine. How long was I out, by the way?"

"It's around about fifteen hours. Did something happen down there with the beacon?" She asked.

"It's my fault." Ashley told her. "I must have triggered some kind of security field when I approached it. You had to shove me out of the way." She said to the blonde.

"That was my choice. I thought you were in danger and I tried to get you out of it. You didn't have any idea that this would happen." He assured her. He would've done it again if he had to, he was that kind of guy.

"Actually, we don't even know if that's what set it off." Chakwas commented. "Unfortunately, we'll never get the chance to find out."

"The beacon exploded and knocked you cold." Ashley explained to Naruto as she walked up from behind him to stand by Dr. Chakwas. "The Lieutenant and I had to carry you back to the ship."

"Physically, you're fine." The doctor told him. "But I detected some unusual brain activity, abnormal beta waves."

"Abnormal what?" He asked in confusion. The term made absolutely no sense to him, just like when Kiba began talking about helping out at the vet (when that happened, the blonde was never quite sure when he was talking about a human or an animal). "Are you sure you didn't detect…well, you know?" He tapped the side of his head to emphasize his point.

"It's possible." She admitted. "But I also noticed an increase in your rapid eye movement, signs typically associated with intense dreaming."

"It's nothing, just a dream I've had before." He told them before a scowl formed on his face. "And no, I don't want to talk about it." He had been on the receiving end of that question so many times, he had actually lost count. He turned his head and saw something that made him both relieved and nervous. "How is he?" He asked, looking at Nihlus, who was in the bed next to him.

"Some of his wounds were serious. He's in a medical induced coma until he's better care." She looked over at the turian. "I should make a note of how he's…oh, Captain Anderson." She greeted the captain as he walked into the med-bay.

"How's our Commander holding up, Doctor?" He asked her.

"All the readings look normal. I'd say he's going to be just fine."

"Glad to hear it." He turned to face Naruto. "I need to speak with…in private."

"Aye, aye, Captain," Ashley said as she saluted, getting the hint. "I'll be in the mess if you need me." She walked out of the med-bay and Chakwas quietly followed her, leaving the two (minus the unconscious turian) alone.

"Sounds like the beacon hit you pretty hard, Naruto." Anderson said bluntly. "You sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, but…I can't say the same about Jenkins." He admitted sadly.

"That wasn't your fault."

"He was under my command, therefore it is my fault." His tone brokered no argument. He would carry the guilt of failing to protect Jenkins for the rest of his life, despite what others would try to say. "But that's not what you wanted to see me in private for, is it?"

"No, it's not." The captain answered his question. "I won't lie to you, Naruto. Things look bad. Nihlus is in a coma and we don't know if he'll live or not. Not to mention that the beacon was destroyed and the geth are invading. The Council's going to want answers."

"Hey, I did as I was ordered and then some." He protested as he got off the bed and stood on the floor. "Nihlus would be dead if I had just left him there."

"I'll stand by you and what you say, Naruto." Anderson assured him. "But that's not why I'm here. It's about Saren, that other turian. He's a Spectre and he's one of the best, a living legend. But if he's working with the geth, that means he's gone rogue. A rogue Spectre means trouble. And not only is Saren dangerous, he hates humans."

"Eden Prime is just one of many human colonies out there, right? He didn't go there just because he has a bone to pick with us." He pointed out. There were far easier targets for that kind of thing.

"You're right; it must have something to do with that beacon. You were there just before the beacon self-destructed. Did you see anything? Any clue that might tell us what Saren was after?"

"I don't know…some kind of vision." He answered, a little embarrassed to say it. "It was a bit confusing, but it looked like robots were killing people in droves, like butchers preparing for a feast."

"Hmm, it's not much to go with, but we still need to report this to the Council."

"Are you serious? We're going to tell these people that I had a nightmare? I'm fairly sure that'll go out the window quicker then we can explain." He pointed out.

Anderson could understand what he was saying, but he still felt that it needed to be reported. "We don't know what information was stored in that beacon. Lost Prothean technology? Or blueprints for some ancient weapon of mass destruction? Whatever it was, Saren took it. And I know Saren." His voice got a little sharper and angrier. "I know his reputation, his politics. He believes that humans are a blight on the galaxy. This attack was an act of war!"

"Others might not think that." Naruto told him. "And if it was, I'll take him out myself."

"It's not that easy. He's a Spectre. He can go anywhere, do almost anything. That's why we need the Council on our side."

"Then all we have to do is prove what he did and he can kiss his Spectre status goodbye." He declared.

"I'll contact the ambassador and see if he can get us an audience with the Council. He'll want to see us as soon as we reach the Citadel."

"And how far is the Citadel?" The blonde asked him.

"We should be getting close. I have to finish up something, do me a favor and go tell Joker to dock once we're there." He turned around and walked out of the med-bay, leaving the blonde alone with a comatose turian.

He was about to leave the med-bay himself when he heard something that made him grabbed the edge of the bed to steady himself. **"OKAY, WHO THE FUCK WOKE US UP?!" **yelled a friend of his from inside his mind. **"SOMEONE HAD BETTER GIVE ME A GOOD ANSWER; OTHERWISE THEY ARE GOING TO FEEL A LOT OF PAIN!" **He then went on to describe how exactly that person would be in pain, with explicit details.

"_And good morning to you too, Kurama,"_ He replied, wincing from the yelling. _"Next time, try yelling a little louder, ONLY MY EARS ARE RINGING!"_

"**Well, excuse me, Naruto."** The fox replied sarcastically. **"It's kinda annoying when you're sleeping peacefully and then all of a sudden, a lot of random and confusing images are shoved into your head!"**

"**What the hell are you talking about 'sleeping peacefully'?"** The voice of Shukaku asked joining the conversation. **"Your snoring kept waking us up!" **While others might've been shocked to know that Naruto had more than one Biju inside of him, he knew that was going to happen for a long time. After he had been sealed, he had unconsciously battled the Jūbi for the control of his body. In the end, he had won by breaking the Jūbi back into the nine Biju again. Now, he was the Jinchūriki for all nine of them.

"**Was I talking to you, stupid tanuki? No I wasn't, I was talking to the blonde idiot that was our Jinchūriki."**

"_Hey, don't talk about me like I'm not here!"_ The blonde-idiot-in-question replied.

"**Will the two of you knock it off?"** Gyūki asked Kurama and Shukaku. **"This is serious."**

"**Yes, we must focus on what we all saw."** Matatabi agreed.

"**So what exactly did we see, kid?" **Son Gokū asked the blonde.

"_I sure as hell don't know. It was just as confusing for me as it was for you."_ Naruto told them. _"Besides, I was expecting you lazy lot to wake up a lot earlier."_

"**What do you mean by that?" **Kokuō asked.

"_Look, I don't have time to give all of you the whole story."_ He replied as he walked out of the med-bay. _"Just take a look at my memories. I've been awake for at least two-and-a-half weeks."_ The nine Biju fell silent as they did as he told. As he exited the med-bay, he saw Ash standing by the table in the mess area. "Ash," He said in greeting.

"Commander, I'm glad to see you're okay." She replied. She had gotten out of her armor and was dressed in her casual uniform. "The crew could use some good news after what happened to Jenkins." Her face fell and she looked away. "I'm sorry, but a part of me still feels guilty about what happened. If Jenkins was still alive, I might not be here."

"That's not true, Ash. You're a hell of a soldier. I don't know much about guns, but even I could tell what you did with the sniper rifle was fairly impressive. Even if Jenkins was still alive, you'd be fine to be on the _Normandy_ in my books." He told her. He had taken a look at the geth she had shot with the sniper rifle as they passed the corpses. They were killed by bull's-eye shots, completely dead-center.

"Thanks, Commander. I appreciate that." She replied, actually grateful for his words. "…Uh, Commander, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, what's on your mind?"

"How did you manage to get the kunai to ricochet off the wall?" It had been bugging her ever since she had seen it. She had never something like that happened before. Then again, her proficiency with the kunai was somewhat limited.

"It's just a little trick Tenten taught me." He answered with a shrug of his shoulders. "It's all how you flick your wrist."

"Wait, do you mean the _actual_ Tenten? The Tenten of Konoha?" She asked in stunned surprise, having read her Shinobi History.

"That's the only one I had known." He said nonchalantly.

"So you're really Naruto Uzumaki?" She honestly couldn't believe it, but the information was all there, and quite obvious too.

"Last time I checked. Why? Did you think I was a good actor or something?"

"No sir." She replied with a shake of her head, her tone a little more respectful. "It's just that…well, you disappeared."

"And now, I'm back. Don't worry, something tells me that everyone in the galaxy will know that I'm back soon enough." He shuddered slightly. "I just hope I don't get Fangirls."

When she heard that, it was all Ashley could do to not snigger or laugh. The legendary Naruto Uzumaki, from which countless stories had been told of, was afraid of Fangirls. It was very hard not to laugh at that, especially since that famous quote now came to her mind, but she managed to hold it in. "I'm sure you'll be fine, sir." She said with a straight face.

He looked at her, trying to see if she was holding anything back on him. But he didn't see anything, so he let it go. "I have to speak with Joker, so I'll talk to you later." He told her before walking away.

"**Hm, not bad, kit,"** Kurama commented off-handedly. Most of his focus was still on the memories, but he had seen the conversation the blonde had.

"_We're not going there, Kurama. We have more important things to worry about."_ Naruto replied as he climbed the stairs to the command deck.

"**And where have I heard that one before?"** The fox remarked to himself. But he didn't push the subject.

The blonde opened the door at the top of the stairs and walked into the command deck in silence. No one made eye contact with him as he walked towards the cockpit. He didn't blame them. Things went from weird to bad when they were at Eden Prime. And now, it was likely to get worse. _"I just hope the Council will at least listen to what we have to say."_ Naruto thought to himself as he entered the cockpit.

"Good timing, Commander." Joker said to him. "I was just about to bring us into the Citadel. See that taxpayer money at work." He joked as he flew the ship towards the other end of the relay. They exited out into what looked like an enormous purple cloud in the midst of space and flew even deeper. Within a minute, they pieced through the cloud and saw the Citadel.

When he saw it, Naruto was at a loss for words. He had thought the mass relays were impressive but the Citadel took the cake. To him, it looked a giant silver flower that floated in space, its five petals glowing with lines of light. The five petals were connected to a ring and in the middle of the ring was what looked to be a single tower.

Both Kaidan and Ashley soon joined him in the cockpit as the _Normandy_ flew in closer. "Look at the size of that ship!" Ashley said in wonder as she stared out the window.

"The _Ascension_," Kaidan told her, having recognize the ship-in-question. "It's the flagship of the Citadel fleet."

"Well, size isn't everything." Joker said, even though he could admit that the Asari dreadnought was somewhat intimidating. The _Normandy_ looked like it was a toothpick compared to it.

"Why so touchy, Joker?" Ashley asked, a little teasing.

"I'm just saying that you need firepower, too."

"Are you kidding? Look at that monster! The main gun alone could rip through the barriers on any ship in the Alliance fleet."

"Good thing it's on our side, then." Kaidan commented. Naruto didn't say anything, mostly because he knew he'd be out of his league when it came to talking about ships.

As they flew in closer, Joker focused more on making sure they got in safely. "Citadel Control, this is _SSV Normandy_ requesting permission to land." He said into the comm, having already contacted the necessary people.

"Stand by for clearance, _Normandy_." Someone on the other side of the comm answered. They waited a few seconds as they kept on flying. "Clearance granted." The answer came back. "You may begin your approach. Transferring you to an Alliance operator."

"Roger, Alliance Tower. _Normandy_ out," Joker replied. He began to fly the ship a little faster, heading for the docks.

"_Normandy_, this is Alliance Tower." A different voice on the comm spoke. "Please proceed to dock 422."

"Acknowledged," He replied. He flew towards the dock that was specified, beginning to slow the ship down. As it entered the dock, he brought it to a halt and held it there until the clamps took hold of it. "We're docked, Captain." He spoke into the comm.

"Have Commander Uzumaki meet me at the hatch in ten minutes with Alenko and Williams." Anderson replied. "And tell Alenko and Williams to suit up."

"Aye, aye, Captain," He said as he turned off the comm.

"Why would the captain want us to suit up?" Ashley asked. They were on the Citadel, why would they need their armor on here?

"Probably because we're about to join the most dangerous game that has ever been created by anyone in existence," Naruto said. While he hadn't participated himself before now, he had seen Tsunade play it. Needless-to-say, he wasn't looking forward to it himself.

"And what game is that?" Kaidan asked.

"Politics," He answered with a completely straight face.

* * *

Codex Entry (Humanity and the Systems Alliance): THE DOWN-UNDER

_The continent that is known as the Down-under was originally used as a penal colony by both Midgard and the Frontier since the 15__th__ century. However, they had sent their prisoners to separate sides of the continent. The two sides did not meet until the early 17__th__ century and within twenty years, rose in rebellion (See: Long War). After a few years of fighting, the war ended with the citizens of the Down-under gaining their independence. _

_The Down-under is unique amongst the continents of Earth as it was the only to have no human civilization until the prisoners came to it, bringing their own culture with them. When the two different cultures met, they began to fuse together. Soon, the Down-under became a melting pot of cultures, eventually creating a new one._

_The wildlife of the continent is one of the most varied on Earth. The center of it (often called the Rough-lands) is composed of mostly grasslands and deserts, while the edges are either tropical or subtropical. As for the animal life, it is again unique as it is the sole continent that has an infraclass known as marsupials. The marsupial is known to carry their young in a pouch on their bodies. The more commonly-known marsupials are the kangaroo, koala, and possum (See: Down-under wildlife)._

_The Down-under, as stated before, is a melting pot for cultures. That is mostly due to the fact that its capital is one of the more prominent trading capitals on the Earth. The fact that it is the closest continent to the South Pole allows sea-going traders to easily travel to the other continents without paying tolls to nations that they didn't want to be near (See: Trading history of Earth)._

* * *

**End**

**Author's note:** Thank you for all the reviews you've sent me.

First off, there was a very good reason for putting that forest there. If you play the actual game, the time between the cut-scene between Nihlus and Saren and you actually getting, if you book it, is probably around five to ten seconds. I'm fairly certain that if that happened, you would've at least seen Saren leaving Nihlus there.

Speaking of Nihlus, a lot of people want me to save him. I can see the reasoning there, but I also didn't want him to get away scot-free. So, I put him in a coma. Now there isn't going to be a poll on whether or not he dies. I'm just going to leave you all guessing until I finally say so.

The original idea was actually to have Naruto and a clone throw the last demolition charge over the edge. I thought it would be funny to watch the two go "And a-one, and a-two…"

Truth be told, I have lost count of how many times I've read a story where Naruto was the Jinchūriki of the Jūbi. It usually was story that had him ridiculously over-powered and getting every girl he set his eyes on (yawn). However, he just being the Jinchūriki of the Kyuubi has also been done many times. So, I made him the Jinchūriki of all nine Biju (which I don't think has been done very much). Some of you are probably going to say that makes him the same as being the Jinchūriki of the Jūbi and will be too powerful to be realistic. Personally, I say that depends on if he uses their abilities. Instead of seeing it as being overpowered, try seeing it as color commentary times nine.

Of course the Down-under is obviously Australia. How else was I going to get Lawson's accent into the story? It is two birds with one stone; I get in the accent and establish more history while I'm at it.

I'll see you all next chapter!


	9. Be back later, Gone hunting

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Mass Effect.

Misplaced

Chapter 9: Be back later, Gone hunting

"Talking"

"_Thinking"_

"**Biju/VI/Geth/Reaper talking"**

"_**Biju/VI/Geth/Reaper thinking"**_

Reading/ News/Intercom

(Location: Citadel, Earth Embassy)

"This is an outrage!" The guy who Anderson claimed was the ambassador to the Citadel Council (Udina was supposed to be his name) yelled. "The Council would step in if the geth attack a turian colony!" He was standing in front of holograms of the three Councilors. Naruto really couldn't tell, but it looked like they were looking at the ambassador with indifference.

"**Pointing out the fact that they would've done if somebody else was involved never works." **Matatabi commented with a shake of her head. **"I'm surprised humans haven't learned that lesson already, it's been over two thousand years."**

"**Well, there goes the hope of the human race been smarter."** Son remarked with mock sadness, shaking his head.

"_Hey, don't mock my species. You were raised by one of us."_ Naruto told them silently. He was sitting down and focusing on the paper in front of him. _"And keep it down. I'm almost done with this thing."_ Ever since he, Anderson, and the rest of his team disembarked from the _Normandy_, he had been writing his report. Since he didn't know how to do it with his omni-tool (and quite frankly, he still didn't trust the damn thing), he was writing it by hand.

"The turians don't found colonies on the borders of the Terminus Systems, Ambassador." The salarian councilor told him sharply. Udina's face looked like it had been slapped when he heard that comment.

"Humanity was well aware of the risks when you went into the Traverse." The asari councilor said. While her tone was gentle, the undercurrent of it set Naruto's teeth on edge. She spoke to the ambassador like he was a child, like he had no idea what he was saying or doing and she was trying to correct him. The blonde was fairly certain that Udina hated that as much as he did.

"What about Saren?" The ambassador asked. "You can't just ignore a rogue Spectre. I demand action!"

"You don't get to make demands of the Council, Ambassador." The turian councilor replied, somewhat harshly

"Citadel Security is investigating your charges Saren." The asari councilor told Udina. "We will discuss the C-Sec findings at the hearing. Not before." The holograms faded away, leaving him standing in front of a console.

He stifled a snarl as he turned around. _"Damn them and this entire fiasco!"_ He mentally growled to himself. "Captain Anderson." He greeted the captain curtly before looking over at the three other people there. "I see you brought half your crew with you."

"Just the ground team from Eden Prime," Anderson replied. "In case you had any questions."

"There is one thing that I want to know. I don't have all the mission reports, where is the last one?"

"Right here," Naruto said, standing up and handing the ambassador the report. It was a bit hurried, but he made sure that he didn't leave anything out.

He took the report. "I trust this is accurate?" He asked as he flipped through the pages.

"Yes, it is." The blonde replied. It had been drilled into his head by both Tsunade and Kakashi to always write good reports.

"It sounds like you convinced the Council to give us an audience." Anderson noted. That was not an easy thing by itself. It could only end in a good way for them or in a bad way for them.

"They were not happy about it." Udina replied. "Saren's their top agent. They don't like him being accused of treason." While he said this, he looked over at Naruto and his two teammates. Even though he didn't say it, it was evident that he thought they were to blame.

"**He's upset."** Saiken commented.

"**Thank you, Captain Obvious."** The rest of the Biju chorused sarcastically.

"Saren was there. I saw him with my own eyes." Naruto told the ambassador, ignoring the Biju in his mind. "The Council will be a bunch of idiots if they ignore this!"

"Settle down, Commander." He replied coolly. "You've already done more than enough to jeopardize your candidacy for the Spectres. The mission on Eden Prime was the chance to prove to the Council that you could get the job done, despite being in a time you don't know much about. Instead, Nihlus is in a coma, being treated at Huerta Memorial Hospital, and the beacon was destroyed!"

"That's Saren's fault, not his!" Anderson protested, cutting into the conversation.

"And besides, Nihlus in a coma is better than Nihlus being dead." The blonde retorted.

"Then we better hope the C-Sec investigation turns up evidence to support our accusations. Otherwise, the Council might use this as an excuse to keep you out of the Spectres." He rubbed his forehead in irritation. "And do think the Alliance argued over it before pushing for it." He looked pointedly over at Anderson.

"Wait, what do you mean by that?" Naruto asked, missing the look they had shared.

"Before we started pushing for a human in the Spectres, there was a debate amongst the Alliance leaders on whether we should try or not." Anderson explained. "Some said that since we already had the ANBU, we didn't need to have someone in the Spectres. Others argue that having someone in the Spectres would help us integrate faster into the galactic community and put us one step closer to joining the Council itself. Finally, it was decided to push for the Spectres."

"Why didn't you guys try to have an ANBU agent get into the Spectres?" It seemed like the more logical thing to do to him. The ANBU and the Spectres were practically the same thing, so the only thing that would be different would be the name.

"That was the idea we were going with this time. Then you showed up." Udina said drily. "Come with me, Captain." He said to Anderson. "I want to go over a few things before the hearing. Uzumaki, you and the others can meet us at the Citadel Tower, top level. I'll make sure you have clearance to get in." Once he had said that, he turned around and walked away. Anderson followed closely behind.

"And that's why I hate politicians." Ashley muttered to herself once she saw that they were gone.

"Be nice, Ash." Naruto told her. "He's just doing his job."

"That's the first time I've heard someone say that of a politician." Kaidan remarked. Mostly, it was just comments about how they were complete and utter assholes.

"Anyway, you guys know where the Citadel Tower, right?" The blonde asked them. He had tried to pay attention to where they were going on the way from the _Normandy_, but he was completely stunned that he didn't look at landmarks.

"No need to worry about that, sir. Just follow us." The biotic told him. He took the lead and walked out of the ambassador's office. Ashley was right behind him and Naruto was in the rear. They quickly walked down the stairs and back into the lobby.

The lobby wasn't really a lobby to Naruto. It looked more like a sitting area that had the Earth Embassy on one side and the Presidium on the other. As they came down the stairs, they saw another set of stairs that led to a café (at least he thought it was a café, he didn't get the exact details). In the middle of the lobby, just beyond the two rows of chairs facing each other was a small console. Standing behind the console, was a purple asari which was obviously a hologram (anyone could tell that just by looking at her and seeing the waves of electric energy flow down her body. "Welcome to the Presidium." It would say whenever someone went near it. "Allow me to be your guide."

"Hey, Commander, why don't you get some details about the Citadel from Avina?" Ashley suggested to Naruto, looking back at him.

"No, no thanks. I'm good." He replied, looking straight ahead.

"Are you sure about that?" It looked like he was trying to avoid making eye contact with the VI and that was a little weird to her. There was nothing wrong with getting information from one, they were practically everywhere. "It could help you figure out where to go around the Citadel."

"And I'm sure I can get that information from a book or from a person." He retorted, still not looking at the VI. "Look, Ash, just give me a couple of weeks or so to get use to them. Then I might actually talk to one."

"**Oh, stop being a big baby and talk to the thing."** Kurama ordered him from inside his mind. The blonde promptly ignored him. **"Just because you're trying to ignore me, doesn't mean I'm going to stop."**

"**I thought you would've known how stubborn he is." **Gyūki said to the fox. **"He's not going to budge on this and we all know it."** The other Biju muttered in agreement.

"It's best to leave it alone, Ashley." Kaidan told her. "If the Commander doesn't want to talk to her, that's his decision, not ours." They walked pass the VI and into the Presidium itself.

"Thank you, Kaidan. And I hope this is not you being a suck-up." Naruto told him, raising an eyebrow. He had learned how to do that from Shino, and was actually kinda proud of it.

"Never would've thought of it, sir." He replied with a completely straight face.

"Un-huh," The blonde decided to drop it and look up at what was supposed to be the ceiling. "Man that is so weird." He said to himself as they walked.

"What is?" Ashley asked him.

"The fact that I am currently standing in a space station, which is only Kami knows how far away from Earth, and when I look up, I see blue skies. That's just…wrong, very wrong." He suppressed a small shudder when he thought about it.

"How's that wrong? It's just the sky." She looked up at the ceiling. She didn't really see what was wrong with it.

"When I look up at the sky, I'd like the light to be coming from a sun, not light bulbs." He told her with a slight scowl.

"Um…technically, those aren't light bulbs." Kaidan commented, earning himself a glare from the blonde in the group. He gulped slightly and averted his gaze.

"That's not the point, and we all know it!" He snapped before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. "Look, let's just get to the Citadel Tower before I go into a rant about something that feels wrong to me, okay?" Both Kaidan and Ashley happily agreed with the idea. The last thing the three of them wanted was something like that.

* * *

After finding the elevator that led to the Citadel and suffering through the long wait as they went up (during which Naruto got in a quick nap without anyone realizing it), they step out onto the top floor of the place. "Would you take a look at this place?" Kaidan said with a small whistle as he looked around with wonder.

"I'm a little bit busy with walking." Ashley told him with slight sarcasm. "I'm afraid that if I look around, I'll run into something."

"You're a shinobi. You can multi-task." He replied with a roll of his eyes.

"Children, behave." Naruto told them. "We really don't have time for time outs, so don't make me put one of you in one."

They stared at his back and then looked at each other. "I think he means it." The biotic whispered. Ashley nodded in agreement. The last thing they wanted was to be put in a time out like they were kids by a person who would do it. The scary part was that they had no idea what his definition of "time out" was.

As they climbed the first set of stairs, the group saw two turians in front of them. "Pallin, Saren's hiding something!" The one on the left said. He had blue markings on his face and what looked to be a screen over his left eye. "Give me more time. Stall the Council."

"Stall the Council?" The so-called Pallin repeated with a scoff. He was dressed a bit more richly then the other turian and had white markings on his face. "Don't be ridiculous! Your investigation is over, Garrus." He turned around and walked away.

He looked like he was about to say something, but nothing came out of his mouth as the other turian walked away. Noticing that there were three people looking at him, he turned to face them. "Enjoy the show?" He asked scathingly.

"Were you being chewed out by your boss?" Naruto asked. It looked like it to him.

"What do you think it was? Getting a promotion?" He growled with obvious sarcasm. "Who are you anyway?"

"The name's Naruto Uzumaki." He introduced himself. "Sorry about asking that kind of question."

"It's fine." He waved away. "My name is Garrus Vakarian. I was the officer in charge of the C-Sec investigation into Saren."

"It's nice to meet you, Garrus. Who was that guy you were arguing with anyway? Besides your boss, that is."

"That was Executor Pallin, head of Citadel Security. He'll be presenting my findings on Saren to the Council."

"And I'm guessing you're suspicious of Saren?"

He snorted. "That'd be putting it mildly. Something about that guy just rubs me the wrong way. But he's a Spectre, everything he touches is classified." He said mockingly. "I can't find any hard evidence."

"Uh…not to interrupt the conversation, Commander, but I think the Council's ready for us." Kaidan told the blonde, looking ahead.

"I wish you luck, Naruto. Maybe they'll listen to you." Garrus said before walking away.

"**That was cheerful."** Kokuō stated drily.

"_Not so much, no."_ Naruto silently replied. _"That was irritated and anger."_

"**When did you become a therapist?"** The Gobi asked him.

"_I didn't. I became a shinobi."_

"**He got you there!"** Shukaku said with a laugh.

"**If you don't want to feel my hooves, Shukaku, I suggest you shut up."** Kokuō threatened the tanuki.

Naruto ignored what was going on in his head and kept on walking. Both of his teammates followed him as they looked around. "I bet all these staircases aren't just for show." Ashley noted as they climbed a second set of stairs. "They make for good defensive positions if this place is ever attacked." The staircase was flanked by two high walls that did offer good shooting spots on the top.

"That is, if the attackers managed to make it this far." Kaidan pointed out. There was a lot more to go through if an invading force wanted to get to the stairs. There was the fleet, the security, C-Sec itself, and that damn elevator (just to name a few).

The blonde in the group scoffed. "The stairs wouldn't matter much. Any shinobi worth their kunai would be able to get to the base of them and reach the top in ten seconds, fifteen if they're sluggish."

"That's a lot of faith to be putting on the shinobi." Ashley said offhandedly.

He stopped and turned to face her. "Are you saying that you wouldn't be able to get to the top in that time, Chūnin?" He asked her, completely serious.

She went completely still. She had heard him speak like that before and had warning bells go off inside her head in the process. She now knew she had to choose her next words very carefully. She looked over at the walls and gauged them, looking over single inch and calculating the time. "It would take me ten seconds to get up there, and eight if I had a running start, sir." She finally answered.

His face, which had been neutral as she looked the walls over, broke out into a smile. "That's the spirit. Alright, I'll take your word for it, Ash." He turned back around and continued walking. "Let's keep moving, people."

They quickly climbed the rest of the stairs and crossed the anteroom. As they climbed the second set of stairs, which led to the other end of the Tower, they met up with Anderson. "The hearing's already started." He said without preamble. "Come on." Both Kaidan and Ashley decided to hang back as Naruto and the captain climbed up the rest of the stairs. There they found Udina standing in front of the councilors with a glassed garden below their feet. To the left of the Council was a giant hologram of Saren.

"The geth attack is a matter of some concern." The asari councilor (whose name, Naruto later learned, was Tevos. He also learned, at the same time, that the salarian councilor was Valern, and the turian councilor was Sparatus) admitted. "But there is nothing to indicate Saren was involved in any way."

"The investigation by Citadel Security turned up no evidence to support your charge of treason." Sparatus informed Udina.

"And more importantly, I resent your accusations, _Ambassador_." Saren said, sneering. He made it sound like it was an insult that Udina was even trying to accuse him. "Nihlus is a fellow Spectre, and a friend."

"That just let you try to catch him by surprise!" Anderson snapped at the hologram. The anger in his voice and his clenched hands made it apparent to everyone there that he didn't like the Spectre.

"Captain Anderson." Saren replied with scorn. It seemed the feeling was mutual between them. "You always seem to be involved when humanity makes false charges against me." He looked over the humans that standing in front of the Council. "Your species needs to learn its place, Anderson. I believe told you this before. You're not ready to join the Council. You're not even ready to join the Spectres."

"He has no right to say that!" Udina shouted. "That's not his decision!" He looked up at the Council and Saren, daring them to say he was wrong.

"Commander Uzumaki's admission into the Spectres is not the purpose of this meeting." Tevos agreed, looking up at Saren. Her tone was gentle, but also subtly firm.

"This meeting has no purpose." He replied. "The humans are wasting your, Councilor. And mine."

"Are you just going to let him hide behind his status as a Spectre like last time?" Anderson demanded, looking up at the Councilors. "You need to look at him with open eyes!"

"What we need is evidence. So far we have seen nothing." Valern told him.

"How about the evidence from someone's own two eyes?" Naruto asked, finally speaking. The others looked at him like they were surprised he was there (having forgotten that he was). "Ambassador Udina, has the Council receive my report?" He looked over at the ambassador.

"No, it's still in the process of being translated and typed." He answered.

He grinned sheepishly. "Sorry about that. I've only been in this time for two-and-a-half weeks; I'm still trying to figure out how to turn the omni-tool on and off." The grin fell off of his face as he looked at the Council. "But I was there. And I know what happened."

"In that case, please tell us what you saw, Commander Uzumaki." Tevos told him.

He stepped forward. "When the _Normandy_ was arriving at the first drop point, Nihlus exited the ship, saying that he moved faster on his own. However, I believed that he needed to have someone to watch his back. So I used the **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu** to create a clone that would stay with him. Once me and my team had reached the second drop point, Nihlus contacted us and I told him what to do if he thought that I needed to see something myself."

"And that was?" Valern asked.

"To let my clone know," He answered. "It would take care of the rest by dispelling and letting me know."

"So you were not there with Nihlus yourself?" Sparatus asked.

"In matter of speaking, Councilor, I was."

"Give me a straight answer, Commander. Were you, the person I'm seeing with my own eyes, with Agent Nihlus?"

"No, I wasn't. I was with the ground team."

"Then how is it that you know what happened to Nihlus if you were not there?" Valern asked, continuing what Sparatus was saying.

"When one of my clones dispels, I get all of its memories. So when Nihlus and the clone reached the spaceport entry, they saw Saren there. His reason for being there was, and I quote. 'The Council thought you could use some help on this.' Meanwhile, my team and I were on the way to the spaceport when we heard the sounds of gunfire. I then received the memories of my clone. A few minutes later, when we got to the edge of the spaceport, we found Nihlus on the ground with gunshot wounds. The only person who could've done that was Saren."

"Your report is completely ridiculous." Saren said with a roll of his eyes. "If you were not with Nihlus, then you do not what happened to Nihlus. And I've read how the **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu** works, the memory-passing ability was not a part of it. It just gives you a clone that can be touched."

"Where the hell did you read about how the **Kage Bunshin** works?" The blonde demanded, losing his cool for a moment.

"When the Alliance was welcomed to the galactic community, we had asked that they give us a detail explanation on every single jutsu that has been created." Tevos explained.

He couldn't believe what he had heard. "Even the clan-related ones?" He asked in stunned shock. He once knew a lot of people who would've taken those kinds of jutsus to the grave before letting others who weren't in the clan know them.

Saren nodded. "Furthermore, the **Kage Bunshin** is labeled as a Kinjutsu. The last time I checked, having such a thing is a crime punishable by death."

"That's only if the person has stolen a Kinjutsu, not uses and successfully masters it, Saren." Anderson said in contempt. "Get your facts straight."

"Oh, my apologies," He said without an ounce of apology. "But the fact remains, your commander wasn't actually there with Nihlus and therefore, he could not know what had happen."

"Agent Saren is correct." Sparatus agreed. "If you were not there yourself, you could not have seen what happened with your own two eyes."

"It is most likely that you subconsciously created memories in the heat of battle that made to you afterwards. Memories that made you think that you were with Nihlus, possibly so you could suppress the guilt you felt by not being there and protecting him." Valern continued.

"If that is the case, then the report you've written is not accurate and cannot be used as evidence." Tevos said. "Please do not make up facts that might distort the truth, commander."

For a good long minute, Naruto didn't say anything. His silence filled the air as everyone began to feel nervous. They could see that his face held no expression. But they didn't know if there any emotions in his eyes, being blocked the shades he wore. "Did you just say that I don't know how the **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu** works, _to my face_?" He asked, finally speaking.

"We understand if you feel upset at the loss of supposed evidence." The asari councilor said. "Perhaps if you were to try and rewrite your report, you might remember what actually happened on Eden Prime."

He just looked at her in a silence that people who knew him would've thought that he couldn't hold. At that moment, he did indeed look like he was from another time, a time where the councilors would be dead for saying such a remark. Finally, he turned to face Udina. "Remind me again: why exactly are we trying to play nice with these smug, insufferable, pompous assholes?" He asked, being completely serious.

A less put-together person then Udina or Anderson would've looked at him with their jaws agape. No one had openly insulted the Council like that. Sure, there were insults flying behind their backs, but no one had said anything like that to their faces. All three of the councilors looked they had been smacked hard across the face. "Is there anything else you would say, Commander Uzumaki?" Valern asked him. His voice tight and controlled, but anyone there could tell that he was silently ordering the blonde to watch his step.

Unfortunately for him, he didn't really know Naruto that well. "Why bother?" The blonde asked with a shrug of his shoulders. "The three of you are just going to this." He stuck his fingers in his ears. "LA LA LA, I'm not listening! LA LA LA LA LA!"

The shock and fury that appeared on the Council's faces when he first insulted them grew bigger. "The Council has found no evidence of any connection between Saren and the geth." Tevos announced her voice sounding like she was two steps from trying to seriously hurt the blonde. "Ambassador, your petition to have him disbarred from the Spectres is denied." Udina managed to look both disappointed and furious when he heard the outcome.

"I'm glad to see justice was served." Saren said in a smug voice before his hologram disappeared.

"This meeting is adjourned." The three Councilors turned around and walked away from their podiums, disappearing from sight.

Udina, Anderson, and Naruto walked away from their end and down the stairs. "It was a mistake to bring you into that hearing, Captain." Udina began once they were down the steps. "You and Saren have too much history. It made the Council question our motives." He turned to Naruto. "And you! What in the name of the Silent One were thinking, insulting the council like that?"

"That was justified, considering that they insulted me first." Naruto replied. "The last time I checked, the only person who knew how the **Kage Bunshin** worked better than me was its creator, the Nidaime Hokage. And the three of them said that I don't know how it works, _to my face_!"

"And I know Saren." Anderson said. "He's working with the geth for one reason: to exterminate the entire human race. Every colony we have is at risk. Every world we control is in danger. Even Earth is in danger."

"**He sounds paranoid."** Saiken commented. **"Do you think something happened between those two?"**

"_Why don't I ask?"_ Naruto silently asked. "I take it that you and Saren have a history?" He asked Anderson.

"I…I worked with him on a mission a long time ago." He admitted after hesitating a little. "Things went bad, real bad." That was enough for the blonde to know that there something more to the story. "Look, we shouldn't talk about this here. But I know what he's like. And he has to be stopped."

"So what do we do now?" The blonde asked as Kaidan and Ashley walked over to them, falling in behind him.

"As a Spectre, Saren's virtually untouchable. We need to find some way to expose him." Udina said. He frowned in concentration, trying to figure out a way to do it.

"What about Garrus, that C-sec investigator?" Kaidan suggested, "We saw him arguing with the executor."

"That's right!" Ashley agreed. "He was asking for more time to finish his report. It seemed like he was close to finding something on Saren."

"And since he was close, the Council shut him down." Naruto said with distaste. "Where can I find him?"

"I have a contact in C-sec who can help us track Garrus. His name is Harkin." Udina told them.

"Forget it." Anderson said. "They suspended Harkin last month. He was drinking on the job. I won't waste my time with that loser."

"You won't have to. I don't want the Council using your past history with Saren as an excuse to ignore anything we turn up. Uzumaki will handle this."

"He's right." Naruto agreed. "Let's face it, Anderson. You would've jumped in with my vision to try to keep the charge going if I hadn't said anything."

"You're right." The captain conceded. "I'll step aside."

"I need to take care of some business." Udina told them before turning around and walking away. "Captain, meet me in my office later."

They watched in silence for a brief moment as the ambassador walked away. "So where is Harkin?" Naruto finally asked Anderson.

"He's probably getting drunk at Chora's Den." He answered. "It's a dingy little club in the lower section of the wards." One could hear the distaste in his voice.

"Are there any other leads I could use?" He asked. He knew from experience that it was always better to have more than one of anything (especially leads).

"You should talk to Barla Von, over in the finical district." He suggested. "Rumor has it he's an agent for the Shadow Broker."

"The Shadow Broker?" repeated Ashley.

"An information dealer," He explained. "Buys and sells secrets to the highest bidder. I've heard Barla Von is one of the top representatives. He might know something about Saren, but his information won't come cheap."

"When does it ever?" Naruto rhetorically asked. "We better get going if we ever want to start."

"Good luck, Naruto. I'll be over in the ambassador's office if you need anything else." He walked away, leaving the group alone.

"Alright then, to the elevator and another nap," The blonde declared.

(Location: Saren)

He sat in silence, trying to meditate. In the midst of Sovereign, he oddly felt at peace with the galaxy. He could just sit there, content to wait out the remaining days. It was often at these times, that he wondered what would've happened if things had gone differently. Those thoughts didn't last long, he knew his duty. He knew what he had to do.

He heard footsteps behind him. He knew who it was without turning around. She had come to him, trying to change the path he was walking. But in the end, he was the one who changed her path. "What is it?" He asked the Matriarch standing behind him.

"We've managed to identify the human who used the beacon." She answered promptly.

"Who is it?"

"It was the blonde shinobi who was at the hearing. His name is Naruto Uzumaki."

He remembered the blonde. Most shinobi he had met wore some sort of armor, but the blonde only wore a green vest and it didn't look like any armor he had seen. The sunglasses he wore prevented the turian from looking into his eyes. It was like a pair of shields that protected him from letting people see who he was. But something bugged Saren, ever since he had met the clone on Eden Prime. "Why does that name seem familiar?" He asked aloud.

"Quite possibly because he is just more than a human," The Matriarch answered. "To the Alliance and the humans, he is a living legend come back to life."

He opened his eyes, stood up, and turned to face her. "Explain." He ordered.

"Do you remember the meteor that had crashed just outside of the Serrice Republic, about three weeks ago?" When he nodded, she continued. "It turns out, he had encased in it. According to human history, he was sealed in it at the end of one of their wars, apparently to control some sort of power. Due to a mistake, he ended drifting through space instead of hanging in orbit around their home planet. The humans consider him to be their greatest hero."

"If he is their greatest hero, why was his release not announced with great fanfare?" It seemed like the humans celebrated the smallest of things.

"It seems they brought him out so they could put him forward as a Spectre candidate. They were probably going to wait until he had become one to tell the galaxy the news."

"Then have him removed before they can get a chance to do that, or before he manages to the truth to the Council." He had been counting on the Council's reluctance to let the accusations against go through. It was typical of them to stall and drag their feet.

"As you command," She said, bowing her head. She turned around to walk away, but stopped when she felt that there was something else he wanted to know, but didn't dare ask. "Is there something else?"

He stood there in silence for a brief moment. "…Have the precautions been taken?" He finally asked in a whisper.

She knew what he was talking about. "Yes." She answered.

(Location: Naruto's team)

"So this is where Barla Von works, huh?" Naruto asked as he stood in front of Barla Banking: Rest assured your money is safe with me! "You know, I read that sign, and I'm not reassured." He commented.

"I think that's because you're not used to money being used electronically, sir." Kaidan replied.

"Or bankers are just as bad as politicians." He shuddered slightly. "Can you imagine what would happen if they decided to join forces?" That was a nightmare no one should have to dream or even live.

"Why don't we just not think about it and focus on what we're doing?" Ashley suggested. She didn't like the idea any more than he did, but she tried to stay on point and be professional.

"You're right, Ash." The blonde admitted. He took a deep breath and walked inside. Once inside, they found a volus sitting at the desk, working on something.

When he heard the footsteps of people coming in, he looked up. "Ah, one of the Earth-clan," He greeted. "How can I help you today?"

"Hello, Barla. I was told to come see you if I wanted information on Saren Arterius." Naruto told him. When the volus looked like he was about to speak (which is kinda hard to tell), he raised his hand to stop him. "And before you tell me that you have no idea what I'm talking about, I know that you worked for the Shadow Broker. So let's just get down to it."

"As you wish, Earth-clan," Barla replied, not sounding at all offended. "I do know something about Saren, and normally it would cost a small fortune to have. However, I am willing to give to you for free."

"What's the catch?" Ashley asked, immediately suspicious. There was always a catch, even when they said there wasn't one.

"The only catch is that if you want Saren, you may have some competition. The Shadow Broker is quite upset with Saren right now. They used to do a lot of business, until Saren turned on him. But no matter what you think of Saren, he's not stupid. He knows the Shadow Broker is a valuable ally." He explained. "Turning on him doesn't make sense, not unless something huge was at stake."

"_And what the hell could that be?"_ Naruto silently asked himself. Even though he didn't really know Saren, he could agree with Barla Von's statement. "So what were you talking about when you said competition?"

"All I know is that the Shadow Broker hired a freelancer to deal with it, a krogan mercenary. Last thing I heard about him was that he was paying Citadel Security a visit. If you hurry, you could probably catch him before he leaves the C-Sec Academy."

"Why is a mercenary visiting the cops?" Kaidan asked.

"I doubt the visit was entirely his choice."

"At least we know where he is. Thank you, Barla." Naruto told the volus. He and his teammates turned around and walked out of the room, leaving the banker/representative alone to continue whatever it was he was doing.

(Location: Wrex)

He stomped out of the bar in frustration. He kept trying to do his job, but it always seemed like there was always someone there to block him. Much as he would like to have tossed the bouncer protecting his target out of his way, it would've only gotten uglier if he did. _"Damn pup is lucky I didn't try to tear him to pieces."_ He mentally growled as he approached the terminal for the Citadel Rapid Transit.

"If you're planning to go anywhere other than C-Sec, Wrex, I wouldn't advised it." The voice of a human female told him from behind.

He turned around to look at who it was. "Inuzuka, what the hell are you doing here?" He demanded.

Rin Inuzuka, the first human to join the Citadel Security, shrugged her shoulders. "We got a call about you making threats again and since I was here in the area, they sent me down to get you." She told him. "That, and Shiromaru was looking forward to another round." She placed her hand on the fur of the giant dog by her side.

Whenever he looked at that dog, he remembered how he got that scar on his leg. It had been a couple of years back. He had picked a fight in a bar on one of the Wards (he wasn't sure which one), only to have an off-duty Rin get in the middle and tried to break it up. The other guy instantly backed off, but Wrex had been having a bad day. He took a swing at her and because of that, got into a fighting match between a human and her pet dog. By the time C-Sec had arrived to pull them away from each other, the bar had been pretty much destroyed. Ironically enough, after the whole incident, which included Pallin yelling at the two of them (especially when she made the remark about how the bartender could finally remodel the dump), they remained on friendly terms, even had a couple of drinks together. "I take it that it'll be faster for the both of us if I just come with you, right?" He asked her.

"What do you think?" She asked back. The dog seemed to grin at him.

"Fine, lead the way."

(Location: Naruto)

"Well, that was refreshing." Naruto remarked with slight sarcasm. They had arrived at the entrance to Chora's Den, only to have a couple of assassins try and kill them. When they saw what was coming for them, Naruto and his two teammates ducked low and moved forward for better cover. After ducking down by the low wall, they moved to the right, keeping out of sight from the assassins. They quickly went from one end of the bridge to the other, keeping low. Once they actually saw the assassins, it was a short fight (curtsey of a kunai from Naruto, a bullet from Ashley, and a use of his biotics from Kaidan).

"Yeah, we should do it more often." Kaidan agreed. He was catching on to the blonde's sense of sarcasm. It was a little bit odd at times, but the rest of the time it was funny.

"Let's stay focused here, shall we?" Ashley asked them. She didn't know what was waiting for them on the other side, but if that welcoming party was anything to go by, it's not going to be good. "We could be walking into an ambush."

"I don't think that these were the club's enforcers." Kaidan looked down at the dead turian at his feet. "I think they were Saren's men."

"But they could be inside the club, waiting for us to walk in."

"Ash has a point." Naruto conceded. "Thankfully, I know a way around that. But it's going to require that you guys stay right here."

"What's the plan, sir?" She asked him.

"Just watch." He replied with a small smirk.

* * *

Harkin sat at the table, the bottle of booze nearby. He was "admiring" one of the asari dancers who was currently shaking her ass above the bar. She was new to the place and that made her all the more interesting. He figured when she was off-shift, he'd take her to go have some "fun" nearby. And if she complained, it was his word against hers and he knew which one C-Sec would believe. _"If Pallin and that Inuzuka bitch think I'm regretting my suspension, they're dead wrong."_ He thought with a small smile, which then turned into scowl. It was always like that when he heard or thought of Rin Inuzuka. _He_ should've been the one who became the first one to join C-Sec. He was the one who had busted his ass trying to get to where he was. And if he thought that gave him some liberties to do what he wanted, then no one had the right to argue. But no, they decided to send the little shinobi whore (he briefly wondered who she had to fuck to get the position).

"Um…excuse me?" A timid voice asked him. He looked up and saw the most gorgeous human female he had ever seen. She was petite, with long blonde hair done up in twin pigtails. Her blue eyes sparkled with innocence and nervousness. The whisker-like birthmarks on her face didn't disfigure her; it actually made her look hotter. She wore a shirt and a skirt (a little retro, but who was he to complain? It worked) and looked to be in her early twenties. "Can I sit down here?" She asked him.

"Sure, sweet cheeks." He told her with a leer. "So, where're you from?" He asked as she sat down (more like collapsed) in the chair.

"I'm from Earth. Actually I arrived here on the Citadel today. But I must've gotten lost. I've been trying to find the apartment I rented for the past four hours." She stretched her back, making his eyes go straight to her chest.

"_Sweet mother, she's got an amazing rack."_ He thought lustily. "Perhaps I can help you find your apartment?" He offered.

"Um…are you sure?" She asked nervously. "I was always told to never trust strangers."

"There's no need to worry. I'm with C-Sec." He assured her, making her eyes shine with relief. "Do you have the address of your apartment?"

"Yeah, give me a minute." She began digging around in the purse at her side. "Sorry, but I'm no good with an omni-tool, so I wrote the address down on a piece of paper." She apologized as she pulled out the paper and handed it to him.

He took it and looked at the address. "Well, I hate to break it to ya, but you're in the wrong Ward."

"What? That can't be right!" She protested.

"Afraid so, this address is in the Zakera Ward."

She took it and looked it over again. "You mean I just spent four hours…walking around this Ward for no reason?" Tears began to well up in her eyes.

"Hey, there's no reason to cry." He told her. If there was one thing he hated, it was crying. "It's just a quick ride if you take the Transit. Just be sure to put the address."

"Thank you." She said with a smile. When he saw that, he couldn't wait to take her to her apartment and have some "fun" with her, maybe even bring the asari dancer along too. This would be a night to remember. "But I do have one more question: do you happen to know where a turian named Garrus Vakarian is?"

That innocent-sounding question set off the warning bells in his head. "Why should I tell you that, sweet cheeks?" He asked. Suddenly, he felt the cold hardness of a metal weapon pressed against his inner thigh.

"How about the fact that you're about two seconds from losing what makes you a man?" She asked. The nervousness in her voice and the innocence in her eyes were instantly replaced with steel and ice.

"Who the hell are you?" He demanded in a tightened voice.

"That doesn't matter. Where is Garrus?"

"Oh I get it, you must be one of Captain Anderson's crew?" He got some of his bravado back when he realized this. "Poor bastard's still trying to bring down Saren, eh?" He grabbed the cup in front of him and drank from it. "I know where Garrus is. But you have to tell me something first. Did the captain let you in on his big secret?"

"What do you mean?"

"The captain used to be a Spectre." He grinned as he put the cup down. "Bet you didn't know that, did you? It was all very hush-hush. The first human ever given the honor, and then he blew it. Screwed his mission up so bad they kicked him out. Of course, he blames Saren, says the turian set him up." His grin faltered when he felt the blade press harder against his leg.

"Did I ask you about Anderson?" The woman asked him rhetorically. "No, I didn't. I asked you about Garrus Vakarian."

"Alright, Garrus was sniffing around Dr. Michel's office. She runs the med clinic on the other side of the Wards. Last time I heard, he was going back there."

"That's all I needed to know." She withdrew the blade and stood up from the chair. Before he could say or do anything, she grabbed him by the head and slammed his face to the table, breaking his nose in the process. "Thank you for your time, asshole," She said cheerfully as she let go and began walking away. "Enjoy your drink."

* * *

Both Kaidan and Ashley were still waiting outside the club. Since there was no one who was coming to see if the assassins had been successful, they decided to toss the bodies over the edge of the bridge. When the door to the club opened and the blonde walked out, they turned to look at her. "Well, any luck?" Kaidan asked her.

She smiled and disappeared in plume of smoke. "It's been over two thousand years and men still fall for the **Oiroke no Jutsu**." Naruto remarked with a grin as he walked out of the smoke. "I am a genius."

"You got the information?" The biotic asked.

"Yep, Garrus is apparently at the med clinic run by a Dr. Michel."

"I know where that is." Ashley spoke up. "That's a couple of levels away from here."

"At least it's the stairs this time." He noted. "We'll have some exercise." He began walking about down the slope towards.

"What about Harkin?" She asked as she and Kaidan followed him. From what she had heard from Captain Anderson and from she knew of her commander, something must've been done to the so-called loser.

"He'll be having a very painful reason to go to the bathroom in 3…2…1…" An agonized scream came from behind them, making both Ashley and Kaidan wince slightly. But the blonde in the group didn't wince, he just grinned evilly. In the midst of his mind, nine Biju were currently laughing their asses off.

* * *

"You must admit, it was funny." The man who sat against the wall remarked.

"You and I have very different opinions on the definition of 'funny.'" The woman replied from across the table. They sat in a spot where they could see the majority of the club.

"Yeah, I forgot you've got a stick up your ass."

"You have seemed to have forgotten that I can toss you around this place with ease. So mind your tongue."

"Whatever. Face the facts, we're on babysitting duty."

"What we're doing is ensuring that he is made Spectre."

"It's still babysitting duty." He grumbled.

* * *

Naruto could feel that something was wrong as they stood in front of the med clinic. "Be ready, guys." He told Ashley and Kaidan. "Something's wrong here." They silently drew their weapons and he readied a kunai.

"I didn't tell anyone. I swear!" The voice of a woman cried out as the door to the med clinic opened. The three of them instantly saw that the woman in question had a gun pressed to her forehead. There was a long counter between them and the thugs. They also noticed that the turian they had been looking was crouched down alongside the counter and slowly moving around it, his gun out and ready to use.

"That was smart, Doc." The thug holding the gun to her head said. "Now, if Garrus comes around, you stay smart. Keep your mouth shut or we'll—" He didn't get any farther than that, mostly due to the fact that the back of his head was sporting was a kunai. The other thugs turned to face him, surprise written clearly on their faces.

Garrus took advantage of that surprise by springing out from cover and shooting at the other thugs, forcing them back. Both Ashley and Kaidan joined him in firing at the thugs while Naruto had grabbed hold of the doctor and pulled her down behind a wall. "Stay here." He told her. She nodded her head and he rejoined the fight. "Guys, give me covering fire, I'm going in low." He said to his teammates and Garrus. He crouched down and charged across the clinic. Due to the factthat the thugs were more focused on those who were shooting them than the one who wasn't, they didn't seen the blonde until he leapt up and drove a kunai into their foreheads.

"**I give him an 8.5."** Kurama declared as the dead bodies crashed to the ground.

"**Are you kidding? The charge alone was a 7."** Gyūki argued.

"**I'm not focusing on one thing** **here; I'm looking at the entire thing."**

"_Are you guys seriously going to rate my fights?"_ The blonde silently asked them.

"Dr. Michel? Are you hurt?" Garrus asked as soon as he saw the thugs were dead, holstering his gun and walking over to the doctor.

"No. I'm okay. Thanks to you, all of you," She assured him and the others.

"We're just doing our job, ma'am." Naruto told her as he walked back over to them. "But who were these guys? You got any idea who sent them?"

"They work for Fist." She answered, getting the attention of Garrus. "They wanted to shut me up, to keep me from telling Garrus about the quarian."

"What quarian? I think you better start from the top."

"A few days, a quarian came by my office." She began explaining. "She'd been shot, but she wouldn't tell me who did it. I could tell she was scared, probably on the run. She asked me about the Shadow Broker. She wanted to trade information for a place to hide."

"So what did you do?"

"I put her into contact with Fist. He's an agent for the Shadow Broker."

"Not anymore." Garrus said in reply. "Now he works for Saren, and the Shadow Broker isn't too happy about it."

"So that's why he hired the krogan." Naruto mused.

"Fist betrayed the Shadow Broker?" Dr. Michel repeated. "That's stupid, even for him. Saren must have made him quite the offer."

"That quarian must have something Saren wants." Garrus thought aloud. "It must have been something worth crossing the Shadow Broker to get."

"Yeah, but what would it be?" Kaidan asked, joining the conversation.

They were all a bit surprised when the good doctor said "Geth!" in a moment of remembrance. "The information she was going to trade. She said it had something to do with the geth!"

"She must be able to link Saren to the geth." Garrus realized with an almost savage glee. "There's no way the Council can ignore this!"

"Looks like we know where to go," Naruto said simply.

"This is your show, Naruto. But I want to bring down Saren as much as you do." The turian told him. "I'm coming with you!"

"Why?" It was the only thing the blonde said.

"I couldn't find the evidence I needed in my investigation. But I knew what was really going on. Saren's a traitor to the Council, not to mention a complete _disgrace_ to my people!"

"That's enough for me." He looked around the place. "We should probably have someone come here to take care of this."

"I'll put in a call for C-Sec." Dr. Michel assured him. "There's no need to worry."

"Alright then, we'll be off." He turned around and began walking away.

"Are we going straight to the club, sir?" Ashley asked him as she, Kaidan, and the newest member of his team joined him.

"No. First, we're going to find that krogan."

(Location: Wrex)

"Witnesses saw you making threats in Fist's bar." The human C-Sec officer in front of him said. "Stay away from him."

"I don't take orders from you." He replied shortly. The slight sound of hands going from standby to alert on their guns came from the two turians that were with the human filled his hearing.

"This is your only warning, Wrex." The human tried to threaten him.

He wasn't impressed by the threat. "You should warn Fist. I will kill him."

"Do you want me to arrest you?"

He gave him a very krogan grin. "I want you to try."

"Before you guys get into a fight that going to end with you three either being badly hurt or dead, do you mind if I talk to the krogan here?" A blonde haired human asked as he walked up to the group.

"Do I know you, human?" He asked. He saw that, standing behind the blonde, were two other humans and a turian who looked somewhat familiar.

"No, but we have the same common enemy. The Shadow Broker hired you to take care of Fist and he has someone I want. Care to team up?"

"Fine, so long as you know that I'm going to kill Fist."

The blonde shrugged his shoulders. "That's fine by me."

"Hold it." The human C-Sec told them. "I just told you to stay away from Fist, Wrex." He said to the krogan.

"You told him to stay away from Fist because he was making threats." The blonde human told him. "You didn't say anything about staying away because he was actually going to kill Fist."

"It goes without saying!"

"Not in my books, it doesn't. I'm a shinobi, pal. Either you make the threat or you do the deed." He turned to face Wrex. "So, shall we get going?"

"I like your style, human." He replied with a grin. "Lead the way."

"Now just hang on!" The officer would've continued if Rin hadn't placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't bother, Ben. They're going to do it." She told him. "Why don't you go for a coffee break? You look like you need it."

He could see that the situation was out of his hands. "Fine, but I'm not going to be blamed for this, Rin." He told her before walking, disappearing around a corner. The other two turians stepped back and stopped paying attention.

"What are you doing, Inuzuka?" Wrex asked her.

"What does it look like? I'm getting your scaly hide out of a potential fire." She replied with a grin before turning to face the blonde. "Nice to meet you, I'm Rin Inuzuka." She said in greeting.

"Naruto Uzumaki." He replied.

The grin faltered a little, but it still held. "You're kidding, right?"

"Trust me, he's not." The female human behind him said.

"I…see." Rin finally said before turning to face the krogan in the group. "By the way, Wrex, when you down in the club, did you happen to see Harkin?"

"Yeah, he was there." He replied. "I thought you lot would've gotten rid of him by now."

Both she and the dog stifled growls. "Believe me, there's nothing I want more then to put a Mjölnir-class shotgun in his mouth and open fire. But the asshole has got enough connections to keep him in C-Sec, despite Pallin and my attempts to get rid of him."

"Yeah, I remember the last brawl you guys had. Didn't Shiromaru take a chunk out of Harkin's ass?" The turian asked her, the equivalent of a smile showing on his face. The dog in question barked once happily, giving them their answer.

"Thank you for reminding of that, Garrus." Rin told him (the name gave Wrex enough to remember the turian was with C-Sec), wearing a small smile. "That's always worth a laugh."

"I'm guessing you and Harkin have a bit of a history?" Naruto asked her.

She was surprised at him, but then remembered that if what he said was true, then there was a lot he didn't know. "I was the first human to join C-Sec twenty years ago, and after a year of me showing what humans could do, they let the other candidate join. That was Harkin, and he always felt that he should've been the first human to join. He's never stop reminding anyone who would listen of that fact. Since he was the second and not the first, the embassy didn't really step in for him when he got into trouble; he had to make his own connections to keep him in. That was a load of backroom politics C-Sec _didn't_ need." She said with a small growl.

"I'm glad I was right I figured he was an ass." The blonde said to himself. "I'll tell you what, Rin, if Harkin is still there when we get to the club, we'll kill him too. Odds are he's still stuck in the bathroom."

"Why would he be stuck in the club's bathroom?" She asked, confused.

"I may have slipped something into his drink that would make him start bleeding from the ass, among other things." He said with an innocent smile. "And I broke his nose."

When she heard that, Rin broke out into a loud belly laugh that got the attention of some of the other people in the hall. "You just made my day." She told him, wiping the tears out of her eyes. "I'm going to have to tell that one to the other guys here. They're going to love it!"

"Nice to see you approve." Wrex rumbled. "But we have to hurry if we want to catch Fist."

"He's right." Garrus agreed.

"Okay, I'll leave you guys to it." Rin walked off, still laughing. There was no doubt she was going to spread the word about the story.

"Alright, let's get moving." Naruto declared. They were on a bit of a time limit and they definitely didn't want to have the clock run out.

"Hey, why did Inuzuka look like she didn't believe you when you told her your name?" The krogan asked as they walked out of the place.

"You ever read much human history?" He asked in return.

* * *

"Thank you." The woman said before turning the communication device off. "They're coming." She told the man.

"Think we should tell him?" He asked. "There's still a chance to buy him, especially if we let him know."

"I think he already knows." She noted, watching people begin to leave the club. Before long a turian bouncer came up to them.

"The club will be closing early today." He told them in a no-nonsense tone of voice. "Please leave in five minutes or less."

"Understood, we'll leave right away." The woman replied effortlessly. They got up and made their way to the exit.

As they left, a strangled scream came from out of the bathroom. "Somebody get him out of there." One of the bouncers shouted.

* * *

"I'm guessing they were expecting us." Garrus commented as they stood outside Chora's Den. The door was locked and the neon signs outside were turned off. To anyone else, that meant the place was closed. To them, that meant there were going to be people on the other side.

"Fist might be stupid enough to betray the Shadow Broker, but he ain't stupid enough to not expect company, especially after you killed his men." Wrex pointed out.

"Let me see if I can get this door open." Kaidan moved up to the console next to the door and activated his omni-tool. After a few seconds of typing and hacking, the glass portion retracted. "Damn, there's a different code for the actual door." He swore.

"Here, let me see if I can get through." Garrus offered.

"Wait, let me check something." Naruto told them. He walked up to the door and began tapping on it. They watched in silence as he pressed his ear against the door, listening to how the taps resounded. "Okay, the good news is I can get through this." He finally announced.

"What's the bad news?" Ashley asked. If there was good news, there was also usually bad news.

"To get through, I'm going to have to do something I never thought I would do." He replied. "Thank Kami I had paid attention enough to know how to do it." He muttered to himself as he walked away.

"Where is he going?" Wrex demanded. "Is he leaving?"

"I don't think so." Kaidan disagreed. "I think he's…backing up."

"Backing up for what?" Garrus asked as they watch him walked down the slope and stop up against the wall next to the bridge.

"**Kit, you're not going to do what I think you're going to do, are you?"** Kurama asked his host.

"_Unfortunately, yes, I am."_ He replied. Without warning anyone, he began running back up to the door in a dead sprint. When he cleared the slope of the walkway, he leapt into a flying kick. **"DYNAMIC ENTRY!" **He shouted as he kicked the doors apart and flew into the club.

The rest of the team just stood there in silence, looking at the busted door. "Did he seriously just do that?" Garrus asked in stunned surprise.

"Yes, yes he did." Ashley replied.

"…What a weird human." That was when the gunfire started up and they realized that they had a club to clear out.

They charged into the room and returned fire. Wrex and Ashley took the left while Garrus and Kaidan took the right. They had some difficulty, as it turned out that Fist's men were used to fighting in the club. However, they couldn't keep an even rate of fire on their targets. When Naruto flew into the club, he had managed to land behind the bar (and take out the bartender in the process). Now he kept moving around it, throwing kunai and shuriken at those who didn't keep an eye on him. Due to his perpetual movement however, he kept hitting them in the arm or leg. "Kaidan, use your biotics!" He shouted.

"On it!" Kaidan replied, covering his arm in the blue fire.

"Then I'll do the same." Wrex said, readying his biotics. Together, they shoved most of the tables the thugs were using as protection up against the wall, taking the thugs with them. While the majority of them were crushed against the wall, some of them were only dazed. That problem was soon rectified when either Garrus or Ashley put a bullet in them.

Soon, all that was left was the krogan bouncer. "Come on, I can take you all! Who's first?" He demanded. Wrex could only shake his head. The pup was going to into the blood rage.

Before anyone could do anything, Naruto leapt out from behind the bar and charged the krogan, slamming his arm into the krogan's crest. **"Lariat!"** He said in a growl, shoving the dead krogan into the nearby wall. He had used enough of Kurama's charka that would've made his eyes go red back in the old days to use the move effectively.

"Was that the…?" Ashley asked, trailing off at the end.

"You heard me say it." He told her. "Bee taught it to me back during the war."

"Whatever it was, it was damn impressive." Wrex told him. "Now let's get moving." They moved towards the back, which held the door to the warehouse behind the club.

"What the hell?" Garrus demanded as they stopped in front of the door. "Fist locked the front door, but left this unlocked?"

"I guess he didn't expect us to make it out of the initial assault alive." Ashley noted.

"That's good for us." Naruto said as he walked through the door. Once he was through, he stopped. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me." He moaned.

"**We kid you not."** The Biju in his head chorused.

Standing before him was a fifteen year old human boy, holding a gun and pointing it at the blonde. "Don't take another step! I'll shoot you, I swear!" He screamed as his voice broke. The hands that held the gun were shaking so badly, it looked like the thing was moving its head back and forth.

Without even blinking, the blonde knocked the gun out of his hands and held a kunai to his throat. "Kid, get lost." He ordered, withdrawing the kunai. The teen didn't need any more encouragement. He ran past them with his eyes gone wide from fear. After a few seconds, the sound of his feet hitting ground faded from their hearing. "It's one thing to kill a fifteen year old shinobi." Naruto muttered as he walked past the piles of crates that were in the room. "It's another to kill a fifteen year old who's just got his first job."

The rest of the team didn't say anything. They just kept moving. As they walked through the door that led to Fist's office, they almost walked into a trap. Fist, as well as two turrets, were waiting for them and opened fired as soon as they came into sight. Thankfully, they reacted quickly enough and pulled back to cover. "Those turrets are going to be a problem." Garrus noted.

"Not for long they won't." Naruto replied. He pulled out three shuriken and threw them at the turrets and Fist, flashing through the handseals. **"****Fūton: Shinkūjin** (Wind Style: Vacuum Blade)**!"** Wind spewed from his mouth and onto the shuriken, giving them a longer range and a sharper edge. Two of them sliced the turrets in half while the third, which had been thrown vertically instead of horizontally, sliced the gun Fist was holding in half.

He looked at the half of a gun in his hands in surprise. When he saw that the group was walking forward, he dropped it and raised his hands up in the air. "I surrender!" He said quickly.

"The quarian, where is she?" Naruto demanded, folding his arms. It made him look a bit more intimidating.

"She's not here. I don't know where she is. That's the truth!"

"Why do I have a hard time believing you?" He asked. Wrex raised his gun slightly, looking like he was ready to aim.

"Wait! Wait! I don't know where the quarian is, but I know where you can find her."

"Keep talking."

"First, promise me that you won't kill me."

"I promise I won't kill you. Now where is the quarian?"

"She's not here. She said she'd only deal with the Shadow Broker himself."

"Face to face?" asked Wrex with a snort. "Impossible! Even I was hired through an agent."

"Yeah, but she didn't know that no one meets the Shadow Broker. So I told her I'd set up a meeting." He explained, lowering his hands. He felt a little more relaxed, now that he knew he was safe. "But when she shows up, it'll be Saren's men waiting for her."

That wasn't good, but Naruto knew that he had to keep his cool during this. "Where did you set the meeting up?" He demanded, glaring at the man and focusing a small amount of killing intent at him.

"Here on the Wards. It's in the back alley by the markets. She's supposed to meet them right now." He hurriedly told them. The glare that the blonde was giving made him feel like if he answered wrong, it wouldn't be pretty. "So, you'll let me go, right? I told you what you needed to know."

"Sorry, but you're not leaving here alive." He replied bluntly and coldly.

"But you promise you wouldn't kill me!"

"_I_ did. _He_ didn't." He pointed his thumb at Wrex, who raised his shotgun and fired once.

"What the hell!" Ashley shouted in surprise as Fist's dead body fell to the ground.

"What are you doing?!" Garrus demanded of Wrex.

"The Shadow Broker paid me to kill him." He answered shortly. "I don't leave jobs half done."

"He was scum anyway." Naruto agreed. "But we've got more important things to worry about. The quarian is going to end up dead if we don't get to her right now. So let's move people!" He ran out of the room and the rest followed.

* * *

Codex (Humanity and the Systems Alliance): MARINES

_The Marines of the Systems Alliance are more unique then other military forces in that they are an elite group. To be qualified to join the Marines, one must have an excellent, if not spotless, record._

_The creation of the Marines occurred after the War of Three Flags. The Elemental Nations, Midgard, and The Frontier decided to create a multi-national military group that would be able to keep the peace between them while also making sure their personal feelings didn't get in the way. They select the best person from each country and formed the first team of Marines with them (See: the First Four). The experimental team was deemed successful after they prevented the kidnapping of the sons of the Steel King and the High Chief, preventing another war being created (See: Twin Sons Crisis)._

_A Marine team consists of four members, which can consists of a Shinobi or Samurai from the Elemental Nations, a Chosen Man or a Cowboy from the Frontier, a Einherjar from Midgard, a Hunter from the Great Jungle, a Swagman from the Down-Under, or a Hero from the Island Kingdoms. They are routinely switched out to different teams in order to accommodate the location of their transfer and are able to adapt to such circumstances. However, the transfers only go to teams that have members they have worked with before. That way, the initial hindrance that a newcomer might to a team is lost much quicker._

_Originally, the Marines were deployed to only Earth after space travel was possible. But as the number of colonies grew, so did the requests of having a team of Marines on the colony to keep the peace between the colonists. The Systems Alliance eventually began to send teams of Marines out to the colonies that were closest to Earth. After the First Contact War, more soldiers were allowed into the Marines, allowing for more teams to be sent out to the colonies._

_The Council initially tried to have the number of Marines cut down severely, as well as the groups that formed the Marines. The Alliance argued hotly against this, stating that the military groups were a part of their cultural heritage, using the same argument the Batarians had used in defense of slavery (See: The Cultural Heritage Debate). In the end, the Council back off the subject, but still demanded that the regular military be cut down to the percentile of every species had to obey. The Alliance gladly conceded on this point, happy to have the entirety of the Marines._

_The headquarters of the Marines is the manmade island of Semper Vigilavi. The island was created with the help of some notable shinobi (See: Creation of Semper Vigilavi). Each new member of the Marines is there in order to be trained to work with other new members. Once their training is done, they're sent out to their postings. The emblem of the Marine is a kunai, a katana, a battle axe, and a rifle crossing each other on a field of grey, brown, and green, the colors of the flags carried in the War of Three Flags._

* * *

**End**

**Author's note:** Thank you for all the reviews you've sent me.

I think it would be safe to say that Naruto definitely be insulted if he was told that he didn't know how it worked. He's been using the thing since he was twelve, quite successfully too, I might add. The fact that they said to his face is even more insulting. It's one thing to have people insult you behind your back; it's another thing to be insulted to your face on a point of pride for yourself.

For those of you who guessed it correctly, yes the thing with Harkin having to go really bad was taken from _Van Wilder_ (that scene was funny as hell, not to mention satisfying). I was always bugged by the fact they didn't do anything to the guy in the game, even if it would've caused a scene. So, I added something that was both funny and satisfactory.

I was also annoyed that he was the first human to join the Citadel Security. Seriously, that was the best they could come up? That's setting the bar really low here, people. So, I changed it up and added in a tension between Rin and Harkin. We can do that here, people. This is Fanfiction after all.

The reason Naruto allowed Wrex to kill Fist and being so nonchalant is actually quite simple. He knew that Wrex had a mission to fulfill and he also knew that Fist was scum that needed to go. He's a shinobi; he's been on those kinds of missions where he had to remove someone. And before you ask, it happened during the war.

I would like to thank Kurogane7 for helping me come up with the idea of the Marines as well as a few of the groups that formed it and the Mjölnir-class shotgun. I'll eventually write codex entries for the rest of them, so you don't need to worry about that. The idea was that if there were so many groups like the shinobi or the Chosen Men, why not have a group that has them working together. The reason that there isn't a person from the Mountain is because they don't have a military there, it was never needed. And before you start, a swagman is not a man who says swag constantly. It's an actual person from Australia, look him up.

I'll see you all next chapter!


	10. I believe you were saying something?

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Mass Effect.

Misplaced

Chapter 10: I believe you were saying something?

"Talking"

"_Thinking"_

"**Biju/VI/Geth/Reaper talking"**

"_**Biju/VI/Geth/Reaper thinking"**_

Reading/ News/Intercom

(Location: Chora's Den)

They ran out of Fist's office and towards the club. As they got close to the door, Naruto started to swear. "Are you kidding me?!" He demanded as he eyed the radar. "Heads up, guys, we've got a lot of people waiting for us!"

"I see it too." Garrus confirmed, checking his own radar. "I'm seeing twenty…no, make that thirty hostiles waiting for us." In his experience, that was never a good sign.

"We're gonna get stuck in there if we try to fight through." Wrex commented. He had been in enough firefights to know that the superior numbers would slow them down, even if they were able to break through.

"That depends on how we fight them." Naruto said as he stopped at the door leading back into the club. **"Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu **(Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu)**!" **He shouted as the door opened. A huge cloud engulfed them and the club. When it finally dissipated, the club was filled with clones, making the enemy both surprised and nervous. "Kill them." The blonde ordered. The clones immediately jumped at the nearest target and began the killing.

While the carnage went on around them, they kept moving. "No wonder they called you the Kage no Guntai (Shadow Army)." Ashley told the blonde as they ran out of the club. She had never seen someone create that many clones before, whether they were could be touched or not. At best, the highest she had seen before this was seven.

He scowled slightly when he heard what she had said. "Personally, I wish they had come up with a better nickname than that. I don't think it sounds all that intimidating."

"After that little show, it's definitely intimidating." Kaidan assured him. "Not to mention a little scary." Every time, the blonde did something like that, it only reinforced the stories about him. He was glad that most humans who had met him 'til now weren't sure if he was kidding or not. If they knew the truth (and he had a sinking suspicion that they would find out soon), he had no doubt the blonde was going to get real popular, real fast.

"**Gaki, I think you're forgetting something."** Kurama told his host, getting his attention.

"_And what would that be?" _He asked, impatient. He wasn't sure how much time he had left and he wasn't going to let that quarian die.

"**You have no idea where these markets are?" **Kokuō asked drily.

He stopped and began to mentally swear. Ever since he had gotten aboard the Citadel, he had been relying on Ashley and Kaidan to point him in the right direction. He made a mental note to find a map of the place, if he could. "Hey, what's wrong?" Wrex asked him. They had all stopped behind him.

"I just realized that I have no freaking clue where to go." He answered in a growl. "Someone else want to take the lead here?"

"I know where the spot is supposed to be." Garrus told him. He practically knew the Wards like the back of his hand.

"Then take the lead." He ordered. The turian nodded in acknowledgment and made his way to the front of the group. Once he was in front, they started running again.

* * *

Tali made her way to the meeting point. She was making her bet with this deal. Who knew that memory core had compromising information about somebody? She didn't! _"If my father was here, he would lecture me until next week!"_ She thought to herself. _"And I'm pretty sure my mother would be laughing the entire time!"_

When she got to the spot, there was no one there. Nervous, she placed a hand on her Skirmisher pistol, feeling reassured by its feel. Just before she had started on her Pilgrimage, she had built her pistol from the bottom up. It felt like a part of her. If all guns failed her, she could always relay on her Skirmisher. "Hey." A voice off to her side said. Turning to where the voice came from, she saw a turian walking towards her. From out of the shadows, she saw a few salarians and even a human (who looked like he was packing some heavy gear, judging by the armor he wore and weapons he carried) come out. "Did you bring it?" The turian asked her, his white markings standing out even under the red light.

"Where's the Shadow Broker?" She demanded in return. "Where's Fist?" She had thought that she would be meeting with the Shadow Broker and Fist would be the one to introduce her.

"They'll be here." The turian assured her, tracing a talon over her neck. "Where's the evidence?"

Reaching over and slapping the talon away, she reached for her Skirmisher. "No way, the deal's off." She told him. Her parents didn't raise an idiot. She now knew that there was something up and odds were her life was on the line because of that.

The turian gave her one last look before looking over at the salarians. He was about to raise his hand in a gesture that would've probably told them to start firing, had what looked to be some sort of knife fly at him, forcing him to duck. Tali looked over at where the kunai had come from and saw a group of people running towards them. A blonde haired human was leading the charge and if the second knife in his hand was anything to go by, he was the one who threw the first one. "Kaidan, Ash, secure the precious cargo!" He barked out orders as they started attacking. "Garrus, provide them covering fire! Wrex, take out the human!"

"Come this way, please." The second human male (Kaidan, if she heard correctly) told her. Both he and the human woman ushered out of the way of the fight.

"Hey! I can take care of myself!" She protested. She wanted to put a few bullets in the turian herself.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but your safety is our priority." The human female (Ash, apparently) replied, they pulled her behind a crate and made her crouch down. Then they joined the turian called Garrus by giving covering fire. By doing so, they were able to take the salarians who had come with the assassin.

The krogan named Wrex charged straight at the heavily armored human, his fist wreathed in blue flames that told all that he was a biotic. Throwing his fist out in a punching motion, he sent the human flying into the wall. As he slumped down to the ground in a daze, Wrex pulled out his shotgun and fired once at his head. "You should've been faster." The krogan stated bluntly. He had been expecting a bit more of fight, considering the human had been carrying an Uprising-class LMG.

The fight between the blonde human and the turian assassin had been a rather short one, ending in the blonde's favor. He grabbed the arm that held the gun and twisted it, making the turian drop the gun. He then kicked the turian's leg hard, breaking it in the process, causing the assassin to fall. And finally, he grabbed the turian by the head and twisted hard, snapping his neck. All-in-all, it took about ten seconds. "Is that everyone?" He asked, scanning the area to make sure of it.

"That's everyone." Wrex confirmed, walking back over to him. "A little boring, if you ask me."

"We were trying to save someone, Wrex." Garrus drily told the krogan. "Not get into an all-out brawl."

"How's the precious cargo?" The blonde human asked Kaidan and Ash.

"I'm fine." Tali remarked as she stood back up, walked away from the crate and towards him. "And I have a name. It's Tali." She was a little annoyed. She could've handled herself and helped out in the fight. But she couldn't deny the fact that they saved her life, and she was grateful for it.

"Jōnin Naruto Uzumaki, Systems Alliance." He replied. "I was told that you had information that could prove that the Spectre agent Saren is a traitor."

"Yeah, I've got that information." She answered hesitantly. "But how do I know you aren't here to kill me as well?" Her hand drifted to her Skirmisher. She could probably take out at least two of them before the others realized what she had done.

"Why would we go to the trouble of saving you from assassins just so we could kill you ourselves?" Wrex asked with blatant sarcasm. "Doesn't make sense, especially since Fist had decided to send an Einherjar to make sure you would be dead." He looked back over at the dead human to emphasize his point.

"_Keelah, Fist really did want me dead."_ She thought in surprise. An Einherjar was someone to be feared in a fight. The popular saying was that if the Shinobi were Humanity's answer to the Asari Commando, then the Einherjar were Humanity's answer to the Krogan Battlemaster. If Wrex had been just a little slower, he and the Einherjar would've gotten into a brawl that was very likely to wreck the area they were currently and quite possibly spill out to more public areas. "I see your point." She conceded.

"What the hell is an Einherjar doing with a bunch of assassins?" Kaidan asked, confused by the fact.

"If that emblem on his chest is any sign, I'd say he was a part of the Blood Pack." The krogan answered, gesturing at the emblem in question. "That would've made him one of the rogue ones, huh?"

"In that case, it's a good thing he's dead, fucking traitor." Ash said, spitting at the corpse. Everyone there could hear the contempt in her voice as she scowled at the dead human.

"There's no need to insult the dead, Ash." Naruto told him, his tone a little sharp. "Anyway, let's get back to the embassies and show Udina what Tali has to offer. So let's move." They formed up around her and proceeded to leave the supposed ambush sight.

(Location: Earth Embassy)

When he read the latest reports from his omni-tool, Udina turned to Anderson and gave him the evil eye. "I can't believe you and Hackett convinced me to put his name forth as a Spectre candidate!" He snarled. "Have you seen the damage reports I've been getting? He's supposed to be a shinobi, not an Akimichi on a rampage because you talked about his weight!"

"It could've been worse." Anderson commented simply.

He would've blown up over that comment had the door to the office not open at that point, letting Naruto and his group walk in. "Yo, we're back!" The blonde greeted casually with a wave of his hand. "And I've got what we need to prove Saren is a traitor and is linked to the geth." He added when he saw the angry look on the ambassador's face. He had been on the receiving end of that look before (though he doubt that Udina had the capacity to beat him to a bloody pulp like Tsunade or Sakura could), so he knew that giving the angry person good news would usually be enough to calm them down (and if that didn't work, it was either pleading for mercy or just simply running).

The anger on Udina's face disappeared when he heard that. "Are you sure?" He practically demanded.

"**Nice save, kit,"** Kurama praised his host. He had lost count of the number of times he had told the blonde not to say something, only for him to say it and get beaten up. He was very glad when Naruto had finally figured out how to deflect the anger (usually by giving Tsunade sake and telling Sakura how beautiful she was before making a quick exit).

"_Thank you."_ He replied before looking over at the quarian who had joined the group. "Tell us what you have, Tali." He told her.

She stepped forward, suddenly feeling nervous. "My name is Tali'Zorah nar Rayya." She introduced herself. "When I left the Migrant Fleet on my Pilgrimage, I heard rumors of geth. I was curious about them, since my people created them. So I tracked a patrol of geth to an uncharted world and waited for one of them to become separate from its unit. Then I disabled it and removed its memory core."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, ma'am." Anderson said to her. "But don't the geth fry their memory core when they died. It's a defense mechanism, right?"

"You would be correct, sir." She told him. "But please remember that my people created the geth. If I'm quick, careful, and lucky, small caches of data can be saved sometimes." She lifted her arm, activating her omni-tool. "Most of the core was wiped clean. But I managed to salvage something from the audio banks." She quickly tapped a few buttons on her omni-tool.

"Eden Prime will be a major victory for us!" Saren's voice rang out, filling the room with his voice. "The beacon will bring us one step closer to finding the Conduit."

"That's Saren's voice!" Anderson said with an almost savage glee. "This proves he was involved in the attack!"

"Hang on, that's not all." Tali told him. "Saren wasn't working alone." She tapped some buttons on her omni-tool.

Saren's spoke again. But when he was done, someone else spoke. "And one step closer to the return of the Reapers." A female voice replied to Saren. "But what if the Council finds out?"

"I have no doubt that if they find out, all I would have to do is say I'm innocent and they'll protect their precious "Top Spectre" without hesitation. They are quite predictable when it comes to things like that."

"How true that is." She agreed with a mocking laugh.

"I don't recognize that other voice, the one talking about the Reapers." Udina admitted. He had met many people during his time as an ambassador and he had a knack for remembering how someone spoke. So when he said he didn't recognize the voice, he also meant he didn't know who it was.

"What about the Reapers?" Naruto asked. "Was that an alien species I missed?"

"**I don't think so."** Isobu answered, looking over the memories of what he had read. **"You read about every species that the modern world knows about. And I'm not seeing anything in here about Reapers."**

"From what I could get out of the memory core, the Reapers were a hyper-advanced machine race that existed 50,000 years ago." Tali explained to him. "The geth believe that the Protheans were hunted to total extinction by the Reapers. Once they were done, they vanished."

"It sounds a little hard to believe." Udina told her, not convinced.

"Well, apparently, the geth revere the Reapers as the pinnacle of non-organic life, you could say almost like gods. And they believe that Saren knows how to bring them back."

"You know…that might explain what the beacon tried to shove into my head." Naruto said, getting everyone's attention. "Perhaps it was trying to show me how the Reapers were killing the Protheans."

"All I know is that the Council will just _love_ this." The ambassador said heavily, rubbing his forehead like he was trying to get rid of a headache.

"What's important is that those audio files prove that Saren is a traitor." Anderson said. They could all see the satisfaction of being proven right on his face. "The Council can't try to protect him after hearing that."

"The captain is right. We need to present this evidence to the Council right away." He agreed.

"What about the quarian?" Ashley asked. She hadn't meant to sound offensive, but Tali took it like that.

"My name is Tali!" She snapped at the human. "And I can help you, sir." She told Naruto, looking at him.

Even though he couldn't see her eyes, he could tell that they were staring straight at him. "Are you any good with that pistol?" He asked, looking down at the gun she carried.

"I'm a decent shot." She admitted. "You would've seen that if you had let me fight back in the alley."

"Uh-huh. And what happens if you lose the pistol?"

"I took the required self-defense class in the Migrant Fleet before leaving on my Pilgrimage, so I know how to take care of myself."

"But have you done anything that involved military training?"

"Um…no, I haven't." She finally admitted.

"I see." He was silent for a few long seconds. "Is there anything else you have to offer? Just because you're a supposed decent shot and you know some self-defense moves, doesn't mean I'm letting you join my team."

"I'm good with tech." She stated proudly.

"And I supposed to know that how?"

"The fact that I could pull the memory core out of a geth should prove that I'm good with tech." She told him, a little insulted that he didn't believe her.

"And how am I supposed to know you actually did that?" He asked, making her stiffen slightly. "If you're good with tech, then prove it."

"Fine, I will." She walked over to the computer the ambassador had been using ever since he had the office. "I take it that this computer has some good security to prevent hacking?" She asked Udina.

"Of course it does." He replied. "What exactly are you—" He never finished his question as the quarian began typing at a rapid pace. It almost looked like her fingers were dancing across the keyboard.

"Actually, it _had_ some good security to prevent hacking." She told him as she began looking through what the computer had. "For the record, you might want to change your password to something a lot more harder than the place you were born."

"Thank you, now get off of that!" He ordered her.

She did so, turning off the computer as she walked back around to the group. "And that's not all." She told Naruto. "I can hack into an enemy's omni-tool and send them a virus that'll shut off their shields. I can get pass any door that has a code and into any computer that has a password. You saw how I could do that last one." She added a bit smugly.

"**Oh, I like her."** Chōmei said from inside Naruto's head. **"She kinda reminds me of Fū."**

Ignoring the Biju who had just spoken, the blonde looked at the quarian. "Alright, I'm convinced." He told her. He could someone like her, especially when he was still trying to figure out the modern gadgets. "Congratulations, you're on the team."

"Thank you. You won't regret it." She told him happily.

"I hope not." He replied, albeit with a smile. "So what do we do now?" He asked Udina and Anderson, looking over at them.

"Both Anderson and I will go ahead to get things ready with the Council." Udina answered his question.

"Before you do that, I would like to ask you and the captain a question in private." He looked back at his group. "Could you guys give us a minute?"

"Sure. It's no problem." Kaidan told him. They all turned around and walked out of the room.

"And don't try to listen in!" He shouted at them as the door closed behind him. Even though they didn't see it, Udina rolled his eyes and Anderson smiled slightly.

"What is it you want to know, Naruto?" Anderson asked the blonde.

He turned to face them. "How much did the Systems Alliance lie when they gave the Council that 'detailed explanation'?" He asked using air quotes to emphasize his point.

"What do you mean by that, Commander Uzumaki?" Udina demanded of him, his tone guarded.

"I'm not as a big of an idiot as I once was, Ambassador." He replied, crossing his arms with a scowl. "As I said before, the only one who knew how the **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu** works better than me was the Nidaime Hokage. Both he and I knew that the memory-passing ability was an important part of the jutsu and yet, the Council doesn't know this. This leads me to believe that the Alliance lied to them and that, in turn, leads me to believe that that wasn't the only jutsu the Alliance lied about."

Both Anderson and Udina shared a look before looking back at him. "You would be correct in thinking the Alliance lied to the Council about some of the details concerning our jutsus. But we felt justified." The ambassador explained to him. "They attacked us for accidently breaking one of their laws and when peace was reached, they ordered us to tell them everything about the jutsus we used. We weren't going to spill all of our secrets to them after what had happened, so we just gave them the basic details of most of the jutsus and left out the more powerful ones."

"Thank Kami for that." The blonde replied with a grin. "For a while there, I had thought you guys had spilled all the beans." He was glad that they hadn't. If the Council and the rest of the galaxy didn't know about the more powerful jutsu (like the Mangekyō Sharingan), it wouldn't give them further incentive to try and figure out how charka works. "In any case, you two should probably get going."

"You're right. Take a few minutes for you to collect yourself and give your team a chance to do the same, and then meet us in the Tower." Both he and Anderson walked out of the room, going past Naruto's team.

"What was that about?" Garrus asked as they walked back into the room.

"Just something I wanted to double check." The blonde answered. "Alright, they want us to wait a couple of minutes before heading up to the Tower."

"Guess that means I'm waiting by the elevators." Wrex commented with a grunt.

"Why would you be doing that?" Ashley asked him, curious.

"My species isn't the only in the galaxy that has both long lives and long memories." He answered shortly.

(Location: Saren)

"The assassins have failed." The Matriarch told him, standing behind the chair of the helm. "Fist is also dead."

"So the humans now have the information." Saren said. It wasn't a question, since they both knew the answer to it.

"Yes."

He fell silent. He had a feeling it would come to this. Anderson was never one to give up on finding dirt on him, especially when it was real. He could always count on the Council to make sure he stayed in the clear. But he had a feeling that was going to end quite soon. "We might as well watch the show." He finally said, standing up from the chair. He walked out of the room and the Matriarch followed him.

(Location: Citadel Tower)

"Many colonial proposals are on hold until backers have some reassurance that human colonies will be adequately protected." The reporter finished as they walked out of the elevator and into the Tower.

"Gah, I beginning to hate those damn things," Ashley said in agitation. The constant reports that droned on and on in her ear were starting to make her want to pull out her gun and shoot the speakers. At least the music was bearable.

"Yep, if there's one thing you come to hate about the Citadel, it's the elevators." Garrus agreed, having been in them many times.

"Really?" asked Naruto. "I find them to be a good place for a nap."

"You can sleep in those things?" Tali said to him, surprise clear in her voice.

He shrugged his shoulders. "It's not hard. You just have to figure out how to sleep standing up."

"**You only figured out how to do that when your teammates found out what you were doing with your nights and staged an intervention."** Kurama reminded him. **"And please remember where that got you."**

"_Of course I remember where that got me. I see that constantly."_ He replied, a bit snidely. _"And please remember that what I did during those nights was necessary and it saved all of your lives."_

"**He's got you there."** Matatabi commented.

"And how do you learn how to sleep standing up?" Kaidan asked him, bringing his attention back to the real world.

"You start by learning how to sleep in a chair." He replied with a straight face. He had learned how to sleep standing up when Sakura, Sai, and Sasuke had hidden all the chairs. That had led to an argument he didn't really want to remember.

The group walked up the stairs in silence. When they reached Anderson, the rest held back as Naruto continued walking. "You're just in time." Anderson told him. "It's about to begin." The two of them continued walking up the stairs. They joined Udina, who stood before the Council.

"We have already discussed this, Ambassador Udina." Tevos said, again subtly sounding likea parent chastising a child. "The Council has found no evidence against Saren and the geth."

"That's odd." Naruto said speaking before Udina could. "Because that's not what I saw."

"What are you doing!?" Udina hissed out between clenched teeth.

"Giving you an opening," He replied in a whisper. He looked back at the Council. "Before I came here the first time, I had run into C-Sec officer Garrus Vakarian. He was telling his superior that he needed just a little more time to find proof that Saren was hiding something. However, his superior said that his investigation was over."

"What's your point?" Sparatus asked, both a little impatient and annoyed. The last time this particular human had spoken, they had all but torn his so-called evidence into shred. In response, he insulted and mocked them.

"My point is that the time it took the _Normandy_ to get from Eden Prime to the Citadel was relatively short. The Ambassador here put in the petition that Saren removed from the Spectres probably as soon as he heard from Captain Anderson about what happened on Eden Prime. In response, you handed down the orders to have someone in C-Sec to investigate Saren. But then when Udina asked for a hearing, you agreed and gave the time of the hearing to all who needed to know, within the very same day you had a C-Sec officer try to investigate your top Spectre." He told them, keeping a steady tone and a clam expression on his face.

" Are you implying something, Commander?" Valern asked him.

"What he is implying is that you gave a token gesture to investigating Saren, only to stop it, sweep it under the rug, and say that they couldn't find anything." Udina said with a vicious gleam in his eyes, having caught onto the opening Naruto had given him. "Had you actually tried to give C-Sec time to investigate Saren, you would've set the hearing at a later date. Instead, you told the officer in charge of the investigation that it was over and hoped that he would listen to you."

"Thank Kami that Officer Garrus is a stubborn son of a bitch and stayed on the case like an Inuzuka and his hound on the hunt." Naruto commented. "So tell me, do you play cover-up for all your Spectres, or is Saren just special?" He asked the Council with enough fake innocence to be making fun of them as well as enough seriousness to be accusing them. Nearby, more and more spectators began watching the meeting.

"Are you implying that we stopped the C-Sec investigation just so we could prove Saren's innocence?" Tevos asked him.

"I'm not implying, I'm stating." He bluntly told her. "You see, after our last meeting, my team and I decided to go look for Garrus to see what he had found out about Saren. After tracking him to Dr. Michel's clinic and saving the doctor from a couple of thugs who had come to threaten her, we discovered that she had patched up a quarian named Tali who had information. Information she wanted to sell to the Shadow Broker. Only, it turned out that the agent she had talked to, Fist, was now working for Saren and set her up to walk into an ambush. After my team had stopped the execution, we escorted Ms. Tali back to the embassy, where she revealed that the information that nearly cost her life had been pulled from a geth memory core."

Udina tapped a few buttons on the podium next to him. "Eden Prime will be a major victory for us! The beacon will bring us one step closer to finding the Conduit." Saren's voiced announced to all those who heard it.

"And one step closer to the return of the Reapers." The female voice agreed with him. "But what if the Council finds out?"

"I have no doubt that if they find out, all I would have to do is say I'm innocent and they'll protect their precious "Top Spectre" without hesitation. They are quite predictable when it comes to things like that."

"How true that is."

"You wanted proof." Udina said with a smug and satisfied smirk. "There it is."

Tevos, who had worn a gentle and placating (if not subtly condescending) smile, was shaken by what she had heard, making her lose the smile. She, Valern, and Sparatus had defended Saren because they had honestly thought he was innocent, and he had expected them to do just that. He…he had _used _them! Looking at her two fellow Councilors, Valern couldn't hide the expression of surprise and anger from her. Sparatus, however, was much more easier to read. The turian quivered in anger and it honestly looked like he wanted to tear either something or someone to pieces. "This evidence is irrefutable, Ambassador." He said, keeping his voice tight and controlled. "Saren will be stripped of his Spectre status, and will be hunted down."

"I recognize the other voice, the one speaking with Saren." Tevos admitted, swinging the attention back to her. "It was Matriarch Benezia."

"That is not good." Valern admitted, realizing what that could mean.

"For those of us who don't know every single important person out there, who is Benezia?" Naruto asked them. He knew what a Matriarch was; he just didn't know who this one was.

"She is a powerful biotic and she has many followers." Tevos explained to him. "She will make a formidable ally for Saren." That might've been putting it mildly, if she had to be honest.

"**Oh that's going to be fun."** Shukaku said with a snigger.

"_No, not really," _The blonde replied. While he had fought asari enemies before, they were only Commandos and he was able to catch them off guard. But he had a funny feeling that if he ever ran into this Benezia, it would not be by accident.

"I'm more interested in the Reapers." Valern said. "What do you know about them?" He asked the humans.

"Only what we learned from the geth memory core." Anderson answered. "They were a race of machines which hunted the Protheans to the death before vanishing."

"Also, the geth seem to think that Saren can bring them back. Not to mention the fact that they worship the Reapers like they were gods." Naruto added.

"Saren might have attacked Eden Prime to find the Conduit. We think that might be the key to be bringing the Reapers back." The captain finished.

"Do we even know what this Conduit is?" The salarian Councilor asked them.

"If we did, would we be having this part of the conversation?" Naruto asked back. Even though no one could really see it, he had rolled his eyes behind his shades. "Saren's going after it, that's incentive enough to know it's bad.

"Do you realize what you're saying?!" Sparatus demanded. "Saren is trying to bring back a race of machines that wipe us all out? That's crazy! Where did the Reapers go? Why did they vanish? How come we've found no trace of their existence? If they were real, we would've found something!"

"**Has he considered the idea that they haven't looked hard enough?"** Gyūki asked.

"**I think it's more along the lines of they didn't know what to look for."** Saiken disagreed.

"**Or they just ignored those who had found something and called them crazy."** Kurama commented.

"_Can you lot have this debate later?"_ Naruto asked them. _"I'm trying to focus here."_

"I think we can all agree that Saren has betrayed us." Tevos said. "We can also agree that he's using the geth to look for the Conduit, but we don't know why he's doing it."

"It's obvious that the Reapers are a myth." Valern decided. "Saren's convenient lie to bind the geth to his will."

"**Okay, so it's option number 3."** Son declared.

"Saren is a rogue agent on the run for his life." Sparatus announced. "He no longer has the rights or resources of a Spectre. The Council has stripped him of his position."

"That is not good enough!" Udina shouted. "We both know that if he found out he's lost the right to be a Spectre, he would head straight for the Traverse. Send one of your fleets after him!"

"A fleet cannot track down one man." Valern told him sharply. It was a rebuff and they both knew it.

"A Citadel fleet could secure the entire region." He said, trying a different tactic. "Keep the geth from attacking any more of our colonies."

"Or it could trigger a war with the Terminus Systems!" Sparatus countered. "We won't be dragged into a galactic confrontation over a few dozen colonies!"

When he heard that, the ambassador gave a grim smile. "Thank you, Councilor Sparatus, you've just given me enough reason to go to the Alliance and asked that we separate ourselves from the authority of the Citadel Council. And before you ask why, it is mostly because I am sick of you three and your anti-human BULLSHIT!" He roared, his voice filling the entire room. "You cannot find a single person or protect our colonies because you 'might' start a war. You don't let the investigation run its course because we 'might' be right. And when someone who was there, on the ground, gave you solid evidence, you call him a liar!"

"Udina's right." Naruto said, taking over for the ambassador. "I've heard of sticking your head in the sand, but this is fucking ridiculous! Have you ever considered the fact that you probably won't have your war with the Terminus System if you just _state your intentions and don't fire first_!?" He asked (more like demanded) of them. "You know, after two thousand years, you would've thought things would be different. Instead, it's the exact same thing, only with more people, and the leaders are even more stupid."

"**Lay it on them, gaki!"** Kurama cheered from inside his mind along with the rest of the Biju.

"Who do you think you're—?" Sparatus began to demand.

"Shut up! I'm talking here!" The blonde cut him off. "Didn't your parents teach to be respectful of your betters and elders? I may not be the former, but I am definitely the latter! For the love of Kami, you're the Council! You may be the three most powerful people for a good portion of the galaxy, but you've also got a responsibility to those who ask you for guidance and help. And from what I've read and see, you have done an incredibly _bad_ job of doing that! And if you want a good example, how about us?" He gestured to the two other humans besides him. "You've been telling us that humans should heed your advice and look to you for justice, that your way is better than ours. And when we try to do as you suggested, to try and do it your way, you blow us off! You think of how you can protect one person when you should've brought him to justice for what he did. And, because you chose not to believe us until it was too late, he could be only Kami knows where!" Even more spectators watched as the blonde chewed the Council out. Later, someone would upload a video of the meeting onto the extranet with the title "Owned Council."

"So what would you have us do?" Valern asked him, keeping his expression neutral. Even though he or his colleagues had not been expecting the outburst, the human had gotten them dead to rights about what they had done about Saren. The humans had them and they all knew it.

"I think that would be obvious." Anderson said quietly, but loudly enough for them to hear. "A fleet can't track down one man, but another man can." He looked pointedly over at Naruto.

"No!" Sparatus objected vehemently. "It's too soon. Humanity is not ready for the responsibilities that come with joining the Spectres!"

"You say that Humanity isn't ready. But how can you say that if you don't let us try?" Naruto retorted.

"What if we told you that we allowed Humanity to try once and their representative failed?" Tevos asked him. Out of the corner of his eye, Naruto saw Anderson wince slightly at those words.

"_I wonder if that has to do with his history with Saren."_ He thought to himself before looking at the asari Councilor. "Have you ever heard of the proverb 'if at first you don't succeed, try, try, try again'?" He asked back. That proverb was one of the major factors of why he never gave up on being a better shinobi.

All three Councilors shared a look for one long quiet moment. Finally, they all nodded in agreement. "Your petition to have a human join the Spectres is granted, Ambassador Udina." Tevos announced. "We will allow Commander Naruto Uzu—"

"Whoa, hold on, I never said that I was going to join the Spectres." The blonde interrupted her, making the entire area go quiet. No one was expecting him to say that. "However, I will gladly join, if you three offer me something."

"And what would that be?" Sparatus asked, already annoyed by the fact that the human wanted something from them.

"An apology," He answered simply.

The Council was perplexed by what he said. "I don't believe we know what you mean, Commander." Valern told him. "Have we done something to offend you?"

"You haven't offended me, you've insulted me. And I want an apology for that insult." He clarified.

"How exactly have we insulted you?" Tevos asked him, trying to think back to through all he had said to them and vice-versa.

"Back during the hearing with Saren, you told me that I did not know how the **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu** worked, _to my face_. Considering the fact that's one of the jutsus I use frequently, I'm pretty sure I know how it works."

"We've already discussed this." Sparatus told him. "There is no mention of a memory-passing ability tied to the **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu**."

He scowled at the turian. "Number 1: between the two of us, who is the chakra wielder, me or you?" He rhetorically asked. "Number 2: you attacked us for breaking a law that we had no knowledge of and once peace was brokered, you ordered us to tell you about every single jutsu that has been created. Did you really think that we would tell you everything after all that?" He could see that they were trying to come up with a good answer, but couldn't. So he pressed on. "Let me ask you this question: when Nihlus put my name forward and you tried to look me up, did all you get was references to history books?"

"Yes, we did." Tevos answered; surprised that he figured that out.

"Did it ever occur to you to look _through_ the history books and read the section on me? Trust me, I've read some of those books. They're very accurate, down to the fact about how _I was a master of the jutsu and knew everything about it!_ In fact, the only person who knew the jutsu better than me was its creator, Tobirama Senju, the Nidaime Hokage! So it's going to be a point of pride for me when you say that I don't know how to use it!"

The Councilors again shared a look between the three of them. Finally, Tevos looked at him. "Then I, speaking for the whole Council, apologize to you, Commander Naruto Uzumaki, for unintendedly insulting you about your knowledge about your own jutsu." She said, her voice sincere and honest.

"I accept your apology." He replied. "Now, how are you going to deal with Saren's betrayal?"

"Publically," Valern answered.

* * *

A half hour later, the Council floor was completely packed as they all either stood around the glass ceiling covering the garden beneath it or watching from screens. Those who couldn't get into the tower watched what was happening from nearby screens or from their omni-tool. But the fact remained that everyone in Citadel space, as well as quite a few others, were watching with bated breaths.

The three Councilors stood on one end of the garden while Anderson and Udina stood on the other end. In the middle of the garden, and in the middle of both groups, stood Naruto. If he had looked up, would've seen that his team was watching from front row seats. As he waited, Sparatus took a small step forward. "It has come to the attention of the Council that the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance agent Saren Arterius has betrayed us by consorting with the geth to attack the human colony of Eden Prime of his own free will. We strip him of his rank and charge him with murder, attempted murder, sabotage, and treason. We also charge Matriarch Benezia T'Soni with these same charges, as well as the charge of conspiracy. Is there anyone who is willing to find these traitors and bring them to justice?"

No one answered for a long minute. Then Udina spoke. "As a member of the galactic community, Humanity is willing and ready to hunt these traitors down."

"Is there one among you who would do this task?" Tevos asked him.

"I would do it." Naruto spoke.

"And who are you?" Valern asked him.

He took a deep breath. _"Well, here we go. The moment of truth,"_ He thought to himself. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki, son of Minato Namikaze, the Yondaime Hokage, and Kushina Uzumaki. I am a member of the Uzumaki clan and also claim blood ties to the Senju clan. I am the Toad Sage of Mt. Myōboku. I have served under the leadership of the Sandaime Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and the Godaime Hokage, Tsunade Senju. I was the first shinobi to have bested the Godaime Kazekage, Sabaku no Gaara, when I was only thirteen. I fought in the Fourth Shinobi World War against Obito Uchiha, and ended it by defeating him and sealing myself away. I have been found again, and I am ready to serve again." He wasn't really one to boast, but Udina told him that it would prove the fact that it was actually him (which he agreed with).

While everyone who in the Council floor didn't know what to say, the Councilors didn't stop. "Jōnin Naruto Uzumaki, we, the Council, have decided to grant you all the powers and privileges of the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance branch of the Citadel." Tevos announced, using the rank he preferred to be known by. As she spoke, a salarian, asari, and turian walked forward towards him. While they didn't wear the same kind of armor, it wasn't that what marked them as Spectres. All three of them wore long trench coats that were the color of black that could only be found when looking out at space. Only people who were Spectres could wear these coats, though most only did so in ceremonial practices (which were few for them).

"Spectres are not trained, but chosen." Valern told him. "Individuals forged in the fire of service and battle, those whose actions elevate them above the rank and file." As he spoke, the salarian Spectre opened the box that he had been carrying. Inside was a bundle of cloth the same color of his coat.

"Spectres are an ideal, a symbol. The embodiment of courage, determination, and self-reliance," Tevos said. "They are the right hand of the Council, instruments of our will." As she spoke, the asari Spectre took the bundle from the box and unfolded it, revealing it to be a cloak like hers.

"Spectres bear a great burden. They are protectors of galactic peace, both our first and last line of defense. The safety of the galaxy is theirs to uphold." Sparatus intoned. As he spoke, the turian Spectre took the coat from the asari and held it out to Naruto.

"That coat is your uniform." The salarian Spectre told the blonde. "Wear it with pride befitting it. But always remember these words."

"We work in secret." The asari Spectre said.

"We exist in shadow." The turian Spectre said.

Naruto took the coat from the hands of the turian Spectre. For a long moment, he simply held it in his hands. Then, he swung it around his back, putting his arms into the sleeves as it hit his back. After making sure it was properly on, he looked back at the three Spectres. "And we dress in black." He told them with a grin. They couldn't help but grin back at him.

"You are the first human Spectre, Commander." Tevos told him. "This is a great accomplishment for you and your entire species." That was when everyone who was watching began to clap, applauding him for what he had done.

He stood there, letting the sounds fill his ears. Then he turned to face the Councilors. "What is my mission?" He asked, being all business.

"We are sending you into the Traverse after Saren." Valern answered. "He is a fugitive from justice, so you're authorized to use any means necessary to apprehend or eliminate him."

"Any relevant files we have will be sent to Ambassador Udina." Sparatus told him.

"This meeting of the Council is adjourned." Tevos announced. She and her colleagues walked away with the three Spectres behind them. The crowds who had been watching the ceremony began to disperse.

Both Anderson and Udina waited in silence as the new Spectre walked back to them. "Congratulation, Naruto." Anderson told him, shaking his hand.

"We've got a lot of work to do, Uzumaki." Udina told him as they walked out of the garden. "You'll need a ship, crew, supplies…" He began to list off the things necessary.

"Not to mention getting the hell out of here before any other humans start mobbing me." The blonde remarked. Now that the secret was out, he had no doubt that might actually happen. His one hope was that he didn't get Fangirls.

"Not to mention the Church of the Nine." Anderson agreed. He sincerely hoped that Naruto wouldn't run into any of those lunatics while he out in the galaxy.

"In any case, report back to the _Normandy_ in one hour, we should have everything done by then." Udina said as they came out of the passageway. "Anderson, come with me. I'll need your help to set this all up." He told the captain. The two of them walked away just as Naruto's team came up to him.

"That looked cheerful." Ashley sarcastically remarked. "I can just tell the captain's going to enjoy that."

"In any case, congratulations on becoming a Spectre, Commander," Garrus said to the blonde human. He was just glad to have seen a part of history.

"Thanks, Garrus." Naruto replied with a smile.

"So, what's next?" Tali asked him.

"You've all got one hour to get your affairs on the Citadel in order. Once you're done, head to dock 422. Are there any questions?" He asked them. No one answered. "Good, dismissed." He walked away from the group.

"Where do you think he's going?" Kaidan wondered aloud.

"It's none of our business." Wrex told him curtly. "We've got an hour and I know what I'm doing."

"And what would that be?" Garrus asked him.

"Finding a damn human history book," He answered before walking away.

"Hold up, I'm coming too!" The turian called after the krogan, going after him.

"Wait for me!" Tali ran after them.

(Location: Huerta Memorial Hospital)

"Has there been any change?" Naruto asked the nurse as he stood outside the door. He was almost afraid to go in, but he had to.

"I'm afraid not. He's the same as he came in." The nurse told him.

"I see." He had been hoping for some good news, but knew it was a long shot. "I'll go in then."

"If you need anything, just press the orange button. Someone will be there momentarily."

"Thank you." He pressed the lock, turning the glow green, opening the door, and walked in. There, he saw Nihlus lying there, in the bed made specifically for turians. He had a blanket drawn up to his chest and his eyes were still closed. Nearby, a machine beeped steadily, showing his heart rate.

The blonde sat quietly close to the bed. "Hey, Nihlus," He greeted the comatose Spectre. "I've got good news. They made me a Spectre. But the bad news is that they've made my first assignment to track down and kill him." He fell silent for a moment. "I'm sorry about that, Nihlus. I should've stopped Saren from shooting you. If you were awake, we wouldn't have this problem. Saren would've been founded out quicker. The Council would've listened to you. Instead they had to deal with me." He chuckled a little when he thought about that. "I may have to admit, I was not gentle with them. Kami, I called them out on a few things."

"**That would be putting it mildly."** Kokuō told him. **"You all but chewed them out."**

"**It was still fun to watch, though." **Shukaku defended his actions. **"You have to admit that we enjoyed what he did to them."**

"**We never said we didn't."** Isobu replied.

Naruto ignored the rambling of the Biju in his head. "I'll admit that the coat is pretty cool." He told Nihlus, holding up an end of the coat he now wore to emphasize his point. "Did you feel the same way when you got your coat?" He was met with silence and released the coat end. "You probably did. If I had gotten this thing when I was younger, I probably would've been bouncing off the walls with joy. Then again, I also would've rubbed it in Sasuke's face, if he hadn't gotten one himself already." He smiled nostalgically. "That bastard seemed to beat me whenever we competed against one another. He even became a Chūnin before I did."

"**That's only because you said, and I quote, 'we don't have time to try and compete for whether we become Chūnin or not. We've got a war going on.'"** Kurama reminded him pointedly.

"**Yeah, I remember that too."** Gyūki agreed. **"When they got back and had that big celebratory dinner, Bee had to literally **_**drag **_**you out of the house so you would join them!" **

Again, he ignored what they were sayingand focused on the turian in the bed. "But still, the coat is still cool. I just have to wonder if there was any way to make it even more cooler." Hestopped and had a thought. Dipping his hand into one of the pockets on his pants, he pulled out the white swirl that had been in there. He held in his hand, a little amazed that it hadn't been completely destroyed with everything that had been going on. Leaning forward, he pressed the orange button next to the machine before getting up and walking over to the door.

Within a few minutes, the door opened and one of the nurses walked through. "Yes?" She asked.

"Sorry to bother you." He told her. "And this might be a bit of a weird question, but you do have a sewing kit nearby?"

(Location: Saren)

The two watched in silence as the ceremony finished. As the screen went back to the reporter, Saren turned it off. "It took them long enough to figure out and they needed help from humans to do it." He noted with slight scorn. "What is the Council coming to?"

"They're going to be sending the new Spectre after us." The Matriarch reminded him. She had read up on Naruto Uzumaki and she did not think he would give the hunt easily.

"I know that, Benezia. I saw what they ordered him to do." He smiled slightly. "I must say, I look forward to the challenge." He had read up on the blonde as well. He knew that it would be an interesting fight if they got close to one another. "In any event, we have more important things to be worrying about, and we must make sure that they are not hindered in any way."

"Should I have assassins go after Uzumaki?"

He shook his head. "No, it would just be a waste of resources. We'll just let him wander the galaxy for."

"Very well, I'll return to my duties." She turned around and walked towards the door. She stopped and turned her head to look back. "Also, I have been informed that they have arrived safely." She told him. He said nothing. She expected him to.

(Location: Naruto)

As the elevator opened, Naruto instantly woke up and walked into the docking bay that held the _Normandy_. He saw that both Udina and Anderson were standing by the entrance to the hatch and quickly made his way over to them. "Hey guys." He greeted them.

When Udina turned to look at him, his eyes went to the white swirl that was now sewn to the left shoulder of his Spectre coat. "What is that?" He asked.

The blonde followed his eyes. "A piece of my old life," He answered simply. "Anyway, is my team aboard?"

"They are. And I have big news for you. Captain Anderson is stepping down as commanding officer of the _Normandy_. The ship is yours now."

That was probably one of the most surprising and horrifying things Naruto could've ever heard. "What?" He asked, completely stunned.

"It's the perfect ship for a Spectre." Anderson told him. "She's quick and quiet."

"Are the two of you nuts!?" He demanded. "This is a horrible idea!"

"What are you talking about?" Udina asked, surprised by his outburst. "I would've thought you'd be happy to have your own ship."

"Udina, I'm still trying to figure how my omni-tool works without crashing it or setting off a nearby alarm." He replied. "I really don't know the first thing about the _Normandy_. For all we know, I could go looking for the bathroom and inadvertently caused the ship to self-destruct!" He waved his arms to emphasize his point.

"I have a solution." Anderson spoke, getting their attention. "I'll stay on as an advisor of sorts. I'll help Naruto figure out how to the ship works properly, as well as the computer and his omni-tool, while also making sure he doesn't fry himself or the _Normandy_ in the process. Once he's got it under control, I'll leave."

"That works for me." Naruto agreed with him, glad for the helping hand.

"Fine, I'll work it out later." Udina said with a slight scowl. "In the meantime, there have been reports of geth sightings at Feros and Noveria. It's possible that Saren has them looking around there for the Conduit."

"What about the Reapers?" He asked.

"I'm with the Council on that one, Commander. I'm not even sure they exist."

"The Fire Daimyo said the same thing about Obito when we told him how dangerous of a threat he was. The next thing we know, the man we had warned him about had set the capital of the Land of Fire ablaze. The irony was not lost on us." He told the Ambassador.

"If the Reapers are real, the Conduit must be the key to bringing them back. If we find it before Saren does, or stop him, they don't come back." Anderson said to the both of them, cutting in before they could start fighting.

Udina scowled slightly, but continued. "We also have one more lead. Apparently, Matriarch Benezia has a daughter, a scientist who specializes in the Protheans. It's unclear on whether or not she's involved but it's a good idea to find her and see what she knows. Her name is Liara. Dr. Liara T'Soni. Last we heard, she was exploring an archeological dig on one of the uncharted worlds in the Artemis Tau Cluster, possibly Therum in the Knossos System."

"While I guess I know what I'm doing first." Naruto said.

"**Still trying to be the hero and rushing in to save the girl?"** Kurama asked his host teasingly.

"_Shut up."_ He replied.

"You're a Spectre, Commander. You don't answer to us." Udina told him. "But make no mistake; you represent Humanity as a whole. You make a mess and I'll be the one who has to clean it up."

"Then I'll try to keep the messes to a minimum." The new Spectre replied.

"Good. Now there's just one more thing." When he said that, a person stepped out from behind some crates and walked towards them. "This is Agent Cuanmiztli, formerly of the 666th 'Numbero del Diablo' Hunter Unit." Udina introduced her. "She'll be joining your team."

Naruto looked her over. She was probably only a few years older than he was (at least biologically). What skin she showed had a dark tan to it, showing that she spent a lot of time under the sun. Her hair was held in a short ponytail that seem almost business like to him. The color of her hair was obviously dyed (the only person he knew who could get close to silver hair was Kakashi-sensei and his hair was naturally grey). Her amber eyes were hard and completely serious. If he had to judge her by her weapons and armor alone, he'd say she knew her job and handled it like a professional. "Is there anything about you that I should know about you that I can't see for myself, Cuanmiztli?" He asked her, almost stumbling over the word.

"I'm good with demolitions, poisons, and interrogation." She answered simply and shortly.

"Good enough. Welcome aboard." She saluted him and walked to the hatch. If he had to guess, her stuff was already on board.

"I have a meeting to get to." Udina told Anderson and Naruto. "I trust you'll be able to handle yourself?"

"We'll be fine, Ambassador." Anderson assured him. He gave a small snort of disbelief and walked back to the elevator. "I'll go make sure your new teammate gets in comfortably and introduce her to the others." The former captain of the _Normandy_ told the new captain.

"Thanks." He replied. He watched as Anderson walked towards the hatch and then into it. Then he took a step back to look at the ship in its entirety. When he first walked onto it, he thought it was just going to be a place he was staying for a few days. Now, he was in charge of it and that scared him. As he finally began walking towards the hatch, the only thing he could think of was _"I really hope I don't blow this ship up."_

"**Are you kidding?"** Kurama asked. **"With your luck, that ship and your team will become just as famous as the Konoha Twelve was."**

* * *

Codex: (Technology): LOST JUTSUS

_The Lost Jutsus are a group of jutsus that have been lost to time. This is mostly due to either the user of the jutsu dying before being able to pass it on to a student, the student refusing to share what he had learned of the jutsu, or the user was just one-of-a-kind._

_One of the more famous groups of Lost Jutsus are those used by the Shodaime Hokage, Hashirama Senju (See: Mokuton). The reason that these jutsus are regarded as lost was that only the Shodaime Hokage had the ability to use Mokuton. To this day, there's has been no reports of any shinobi being able to use it (with the exception of one ANBU agent during the Godaime Hokage's reign)._

_Another famous group (equal or more so then Hashirama) are the jutsus that were used by Naruto Uzumaki. His innovation with basic jutsus such as the __**Henge no Jutsu **__(Transformation Jutsu) led to creating jutsus like the __**Oiroke no Jutsu**__ (Sexy Jutsu) which, according to sources, allowed him to distract men and used it to his advantage. Sources also stated that he used the jutsu frequently on his mentor, who was a self-proclaimed Super Pervert (See: Jiraiya). However, he created and mastered more and more powerful jutsus as he grew older, while also creating several variations of one._

_There has been some research into rediscover and recover the Lost Jutsus. While mostly because the Systems Alliance refuses to let the Council know the secrets of chakra, another important reason is because the research group has to choose what group to recover. Some groups, like the Shodaime Hokage, cannot be recovered as he was unique and they would not be able to get results that would match his, which had been proven long before the modern day (See: Orochimaru's experiments). Another groups, like Naruto (and also Hashirama), are considered to be scared and it would be blasphemous to even attempt to recreate them._

* * *

**End**

**Author's note:** Thank you for all the reviews you've sent me.

Now, I don't know about the rest of you, but I always felt that the Spectre ceremony in the actualgame was a bit weak. I mean, come on, you would expect a little pomp and circumstance when it came to something like that. So, I would like to the Author LogicalPromise and his story "Of Sheep and Battle chicken" for the inspiration to make the ceremony better, as well as Naruto's outburst against the Council.

As for the bit with the Spectre agents and the coat, I just couldn't resist. If anyone can tell me where the line Naruto said came from, I'll give you a cyber-cookie.

A lot of you were telling me that I can't give the _Normandy_ to Naruto because he wouldn't know how to work it. And you would be right, so I just made Anderson stay onboard for a little while longer to show Naruto what to do.

Again, I would like to thank Kurogane7 for the Skirmisher pistol and Cuanmiztli, as well as the Hunters. People were telling me that I shouldn't follow the plot of Mass Effect so closely. So I'm adding in a few OCs to shake it up a little. It should be fun. But don't worry, I've already got a few lined up for the story and again, I would like to thank Kurogane7 for his help with them.

I'll see you all next chapter!


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